Every year, millions of homes lose power for hours – even days – at a time. Being prepared is the best defense for such energy emergencies. And for many homeowners, that means investing in a standby generator – one that is fully automatic and permanently installed outside the home. While virtually all home owners can benefit from having a standby unit, reliable power is especially important in homes with elderly residents or young children who are more dependent upon heating, air conditioning and other of life’s necessities. It’s also important for home businesses and for travelers who are not home to deal with the damaging consequences of a power outage. If you’ve made the decision to purchase a standby generator for your home, it’s helpful to be familiar with what is involved in regards to the installation process. This article IS NOT intended to serve as a step-by-step guide. It is highly recommended that all standby generators be installed by a licensed contractor – not the homeowner. Improper installation can cause damage to the unit and could potentially void the warranty. However, knowledge is power and understanding the installation process will help you properly screen and oversee a contractor during the installation process. In this article, we’ll go through the key steps involved in installing an air-cooled home generator, which operates on the same fuel source that currently runs the appliances in your home (LP or natural gas). We’ll discuss the key components of the system, including: Selecting a generator Where to place a generator Making power connections Connecting to fuel sources Pre-start checks Remote monitoring Basic maintenance Selecting a Generator Permanent standby generators are different from portable generators, which are designed to power worksites. With a standby generator – which is specifically designed for the home – there’s no need to fill the gas tank every few hours or change the oil. In addition, portable generators can only back up appliances that can be plugged in via an extension cord run outside to the generator. Standby generators are hard-wired into your home and can back up the circuits you choose without running extension cords. Furthermore, standby generators don’t have exposed engine parts that could lead to burns or hazardous conditions such refilling/spilling gasoline onto hot engines. Permanent standby generators are also better suited for delicate electronics like big-screen TVs or computers due to better voltage and frequency regulation and lower total harmonic distortion. Standby generators range from 8 to 125 kilowatts. It’s important to choose a standby generator that meets your lifestyle and needs. If you simply want to power a few key appliances in a large home, or everything in a smaller home, an 8- to 20-kilowatt generator may serve you well. If you have a large home and want to keep everything powered up, a larger generator will be required. To determine what size generator you need, contact a local power professional (dealer) or licensed electrical contractor familiar with standby generators. Before you meet with a contractor, you may want to get some estimates from an online sizing tool such as the calculator found here . However, enlisting a licensed power professional is essential to determine the right size for your needs. They will also help you comply with any municipal codes governing proper installation, including: Noise ordinances (typically under 70 dBA) Positioning of the generator (flood risks) Electrical codes In addition to selecting the size of the generator, don’t forget about its appearance. A generator sits outside your home – permanently, so look for a unit with a bold, clean look and one that is corrosion resistant, particularly in salty air or moist environments. Where to Position a Generator Once you’ve purchased a standby generator, the next step is to find an ideal location for installation. Similar to where your central air conditioning unit is placed, select an area where hot exhaust gases don’t blow on plants or other combustible materials. Also, be sure your contractor allows the minimum clearance provided in the installation manual. Clearance refers to the minimum distance from the home and/or any other structures that may affect airflow. Some generators, like Kohler’s air-cooled models, come with a built-in composite mounting pad. This eliminates the need for pouring a concrete pad in most locations. Just place it on a level area covered with pea gravel. In some coastal areas with high-wind conditions, it may be desirable to place it on a concrete pad and bolt it down. To move the generator, your contractor will want to insert two metal bars in the lifting holes found in the base of the product and use them to lift the unit into place. The lifting holes allow four strong people to lift a 20-kilowatt generator (approximately 500 pounds). Straps or a lift can also be used if available. Making Power Connections For purposes of this article, we will assume the unit is being placed on a concrete slab with electrical stub feeding wires through the bottom of the unit. In most installations, which don’t include the concrete slab, your contractor will need to drill a hole in the access panel located in the lower part of the cabinet for electrical leads. Be sure to drill the hole in this area, and not through the upper part of the cabinet. Kohler generators come with a field-connection terminal block, streamlining the wiring process. Route the AC leads through flexible conduit. Then feed the wires through the opening drilled in the cabinet. If installing a model RDT automatic transfer switch, connect the emergency source to the terminal block labeled “load leads.” Also, connect the automatic transfer switch (ATS) or remote start/stop leads. If connecting a model RRT transfer switch, be sure to route low-voltage communication leads through a separate conduit. Connect the leads from the utility power for accessories. Then connect the neutral and ground leads from the ATS and the main panel. Ground the generator according to methods that comply with NEC and local codes. All Kohler generators come with a factory-installed battery charger that’s designed to keep the starting battery fully charged. Plug the battery charger’s power cord into the AC receptacle on the bottom of the controller junction box. Utility leads brought to the customer connection terminal block that supply this receptacle should be on a circuit that is backed-up by the generator. You will need to place a 12-volt battery in the controller. Once these steps have been completed, verify that the generator is off. Make sure the “OFF” LED on the controller is flashing. Also, verify that the battery is fully charged before placing it in the unit. Kohler typically recommends an optional carburetor heater for improved starting in locations where the temperature drops below freezing. The heater requires a continuous source of power. Plug the carburetor heater into the other AC receptacle. Some generators may also recommend battery warmers, or other cold weather aids.  Check the manufacturer’s guidelines for your particular climate. Connecting to Fuel Sources Your generator operates on either natural gas or liquid propane (LP) vapor fuel. It is EPA-certified for both types of fuel. When shipped, the unit is typically set for natural gas, with the loose LP orifice tied near the fuel solenoid valve. To convert to LP vapor, install the orifice and disconnect the spark advance leads as described in the installation manual. Then verify that the output pressure from the primary gas utility – or LP tank pressure regulator – is adequate. Also, check that the utility gas meter flow rate is sufficient. Have your contractor refer to the manual for guidelines. Once all the pipe connections are made, check for fuel leaks. Pre-Start Checks Before starting up the generator, go through the items in the pre-start checklist. Inspect the air cleaner, air inlets and make sure there are tight connections on the battery. Also inspect the exhaust system for leaks and blockages. Be sure to check oil levels on a regular basis. Oil should be at or near the “Full” mark on the dipstick – not over. Once you’ve completed the pre-start checks, start the generator by pressing the “Run” button on the control panel. Then turn the system off. Press the “Auto” button on the control panel. At this point, the unit is in “Auto,” and is monitoring the utility – ready to react in the event of a power outage. Kohler Generators are faster than most brands and can restore power to the home within 10 seconds of an outage.  Most other brands will restore power in 20-30 seconds. The automatic transfer switch (ATS) transfers electrical load from a normal source of electrical power (utility) to  an emergency source (generator). Refer to the manual for compatibility between ATS modes and Kohler generator sets. The ATS can be wired to supply all of your home’s electrical load, or just essential systems, such as the furnace, refrigerator and sump pump. If the generator powers the whole house, you will want an ATS without a load center. If you’re planning to power only the essential systems in your home, choose an ATS with a built-in load center. A load center allows you wire just the circuits from your main distribution panel that you want to power during an outage. The 100 amp Model RRT transfer switch shown in this picture includes a built-in load center with room for up to 16 single-pole circuit breakers. Verify that the total rating for all breakers in the load center does not exceed the rating of the transfer switch. Connect the “Normal Source,” which is typically the utility power, to the lugs labeled NA and NB. Connect the “Emergency Source,” which is typically the generator, to the lugs labeled EA and EB. Then connect the neutral from the main panel to the neutral in the ATS enclosure.  Ground the system according to NEC and local codes and connect the start wires from the generator set. To test the system, simulate a disruption of power from the utility by turning off the breaker that feeds the normal side of the ATS. The ATS will send a signal to start the generator. When the generator reaches its rated voltage and frequency, the ATS will transfer generator power to the emergency load. At this point, the generator will power all loads in the essential loads sub-panel. To simulate utility power coming back on, close the breaker in the main panel. There will be a short delay as the unit verifies that utility power is back on and flowing strong. When this is verified, the ATS will transfer back to the main source of power. The generator will continue running for a cool down period. This should take no longer than five minutes based on engine oil temperatures. Basic Maintenance Refer to your installation and operation manuals for recommended maintenance and service intervals. In general, if your generator is running for extended periods of time, you should check your oil regularly and add oil as needed.  The service schedule will address how often oil, oil filters, spark plugs and air cleaners should be changed as well as other cleaning, inspection and service suggestions. Some home owners may be comfortable with the basic maintenance, while others will prefer to set up a service contract with a professional to take care of it all for them. Remote Monitoring Now that your generator has been properly installed and tested, it’s important to monitor its functionality. This is particularly important for those who are routinely away from home and want to make sure a generator is working properly. A couple of generator manufacturers like Kohler now offer remote monitoring capabilities. Kohler’s OnCue™ Home Generator Management System software loads directly onto a PC, laptop or smart phone. Once installed, you can check the status and test your system from anywhere in the world. You can even set up text message or email alerts to keep you informed while on the move. The OnCue Home Generator Management System also makes it easy to implement service contracts. The service provider can monitor and test the generator from their business and see any fault codes and history prior to going out for a service call. This gives you a higher level of attention and service while creating efficiencies that ultimately cut costs. For more information on how to install a residential generator, consult the installation manual that came with your system, or call your nearest distributor. You can also learn more about residential generators and the installation process at KohlerSmartPower.com . Source: Kohler Generators If you have specific questions and would like to contact a residential generator expert, click this link to find a Kohler power professional in your area.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will begin the annual process of opening recreational facilities around the Lake Tahoe Basin. Campgrounds, day-use areas and forest roads traditionally open around mid-May, weather permitting. The Taylor Creek Visitor Center and the Tallac Historic Site normally open around Memorial Day weekend.

**Community Regional Medical Center is currently hiring Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit Nurses to Join Our downtown Fresno, CA state-of-the art facility!**

Up To $8,000 SIGN ON BONUS & Relocation Assistance Available For the Right Candidates

Community Regional Medical Center is truly unrivaled in the region and measures up with top hospitals nationally. Located on a 58 acre campus in downtown Fresno, Community Regional is and academic-affiliated medical center with more than 600 beds, and serves as the only Burn and Level I Trauma Center between Sacramento and Los Angeles. We are central California’s largest Cardiovascular Program and the leader in diagnostic and interventional heart procedures, performing more surgeries than any other institution between Stockton and Los Angeles.

Our facility is state-of-the-art with more than 100 beds dedicated to Cardiovascular Care and has added new technology including the Impella heart pump and HeartMate II LVAD. We partner with the UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program, which is affiliated with University of California, San Francisco Medical School – one of the top-ranked medical schools in the country.

Community Regional Medical Center is supported by some of the most experienced cardiac surgeons, physicians, nurses and technicians in the region, including UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program cardiology residents and faculty. At Community Regional, we’re boldly moving forward – growing to meet the ever-changing needs of the dynamic communities we serve. That means we’re able to offer an exceptional variety of ways for you to grow – both in the way you do your job as a healthcare professional, and in the way you live your personal life as well.


Our CVICU Nurses can be part of this…
World-Class Care in the Heart of Central California, Join the Cardiovascular Team Today, Apply Now! http://hire.jobvite.com/j/?aj=o1HEVfw1&s;=Craigslist
CVICU Nurse Responsibilities Include:

Provide nursing care in the CVICU setting and provides assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of total patient's needs.
Respond quickly and accurately to changes in patient's condition or response to treatment.
Ability to communicate effectively with physicians and UCSF residents about changes in patient's clinical condition and accurately modify the care plan as needed.
Be a strong patient advocate and committed to providing excellent service to all our customers
Be team oriented and demonstrate a high level of professionalism.

CVICU Nurse Requirements Include:

Minimum of 2 years of recent Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit Experience
ACLS & BLS required
CRRT preferred*
Associates Degree in Nursing
Post open heart recovery experience
Balloon pump experience
Current CA RN licensure or eligibility to obtain licensure

Away from work, you’ll enjoy a richly rewarding lifestyle here in California’s Central Valley. As the fifth largest city in California, Fresno is one of the most affordable metropolitan areas in California. The region offers excellent K-12 education with a variety of public, charter and private schools, as well as local community colleges and universities. With close knit neighborhoods to big city amenities and small town charm, you’ll feel right at home with us. Did we mention the weather? Fresno averages 300 days of sunshine each year! You’ll also be within a short drive of a wealth of exciting destinations, from Yosemite to Monterey, San Francisco to Los Angeles. Our location is the perfect spot to take in all that California has to offer.

Join the CMRC Team Today, Submit Your Resume! http://hire.jobvite.com/j/?aj=o1HEVfw1&s;=Craigslist

• Compensation: DOE
• Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
• Please, no phone calls about this job!
• Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

**Community Regional Medical Center is currently hiring Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit Nurses to Join Our downtown Fresno, CA state-of-the art facility!**

Up To $8,000 SIGN ON BONUS & Relocation Assistance Available For the Right Candidates

Community Regional Medical Center is truly unrivaled in the region and measures up with top hospitals nationally. Located on a 58 acre campus in downtown Fresno, Community Regional is and academic-affiliated medical center with more than 600 beds, and serves as the only Burn and Level I Trauma Center between Sacramento and Los Angeles. We are central California’s largest Cardiovascular Program and the leader in diagnostic and interventional heart procedures, performing more surgeries than any other institution between Stockton and Los Angeles.

Our facility is state-of-the-art with more than 100 beds dedicated to Cardiovascular Care and has added new technology including the Impella heart pump and HeartMate II LVAD. We partner with the UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program, which is affiliated with University of California, San Francisco Medical School – one of the top-ranked medical schools in the country.

Community Regional Medical Center is supported by some of the most experienced cardiac surgeons, physicians, nurses and technicians in the region, including UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program cardiology residents and faculty. At Community Regional, we’re boldly moving forward – growing to meet the ever-changing needs of the dynamic communities we serve. That means we’re able to offer an exceptional variety of ways for you to grow – both in the way you do your job as a healthcare professional, and in the way you live your personal life as well.


Our CVICU Nurses can be part of this…
World-Class Care in the Heart of Central California, Join the Cardiovascular Team Today, Apply Now! http://hire.jobvite.com/j/?aj=o1HEVfw1&s;=Craigslist

CVICU Nurse Responsibilities Include:

Provide nursing care in the CVICU setting and provides assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of total patient's needs.
Respond quickly and accurately to changes in patient's condition or response to treatment.
Ability to communicate effectively with physicians and UCSF residents about changes in patient's clinical condition and accurately modify the care plan as needed.
Be a strong patient advocate and committed to providing excellent service to all our customers
Be team oriented and demonstrate a high level of professionalism.

CVICU Nurse Requirements Include:

Minimum of 2 years of recent Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit Experience
ACLS & BLS required
CRRT preferred*
Associates Degree in Nursing
Post open heart recovery experience
Balloon pump experience
Current CA RN licensure or eligibility to obtain licensure

Away from work, you’ll enjoy a richly rewarding lifestyle here in California’s Central Valley. As the fifth largest city in California, Fresno is one of the most affordable metropolitan areas in California. The region offers excellent K-12 education with a variety of public, charter and private schools, as well as local community colleges and universities. With close knit neighborhoods to big city amenities and small town charm, you’ll feel right at home with us. Did we mention the weather? Fresno averages 300 days of sunshine each year! You’ll also be within a short drive of a wealth of exciting destinations, from Yosemite to Monterey, San Francisco to Los Angeles. Our location is the perfect spot to take in all that California has to offer.

Join the CMRC Team Today, Submit Your Resume! http://hire.jobvite.com/j/?aj=o1HEVfw1&s;=Craigslist

• Location: Fresno, CA
• Compensation: DOE
• Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
• Please, no phone calls about this job!
• Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

In recent months, headlines have touted 2010 as the “warmest year on record.”  While we agree with this claim (the temperatures were scientifically measured), we belong to the school of thought that temperatures are cyclical and that despite headlines, the Earth is actually in a cooling phase.

The temperature dataset used to show that the Earth was the warmest on record in 2010 comes from University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH), home to some very bright climatologists and guardians of some of the most important temperature data sets in the world. UAH’s satellite-based dataset depicts surface temperatures in the lower atmosphere. 

Being satellite based, the “warmest temperatures on record” effectively mean ‘the warmest temperatures dating back to November 1978 when the first NOAA satellite was put into service.’ Unfortunately, that sounds a little less sexy. In addition to a very short dataset, one must also take into account that 1978 was near the end of a brief cooling period when both Time and Newsweek featured cover stories about a pending ice age. 

Lastly, we stress the point that the dataset is an approximation of global surface temperatures:  71% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water. Knowing this, one might suspect that the 2009-2010 El Nino, “characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific” by the NOAA, may have had an impact on the satellite-based temperature trends over the past two years. (sarcasm)

The graph below, generated from the NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service, shows the twelve month average land based surface temperature readings in the contiguous United States:


The graph clearly displays the unusual run-up in temperatures that began in the late 90’s (commonly referred to as the “hockey stick graph”) followed by a sharp decline since 2005.  The up-tick in average surface temperatures in 2010 resulted from the warm El Nino summer.  When the three month average temperature is displayed (November-January), temperatures this winter were below average.  (Data for this graph can be found here: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/temp-and-precip/time-series/). 

If one accepts the notion that the Sun, which provides over 95% of the heat energy to the surface of the Earth, has the potential to impact surface temperatures, it would be logical to incorporate observations and predictions of solar activity in climate models and forecasts. 

Luckily, solar activity follows surprisingly stable, and thus predictable, cycles. In 1993, Robert Jastrow of the Mount Wilson Observatory in California, and Sallie Baliunas of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, reported that most of the known twelve sun-like stars showed regular cycles of activity similar to the eleven-year cycles of our sun.

Solar activity is most commonly measured by sunspot counts. Sunspots are created when the plasma circulation within the sun becomes so strong that flows of plasma escape the surface. This plasma cools and creates a visible dark spot as it is later brought back towards the core by the Sun’s gravitational pull. 

The intensity of this circulation, commonly referred to as the Sun’s “conveyor belt,” creates the electromagnetic output of the Sun and sunspots: a more active conveyer belt circulation creates high sunspot counts and high electromagnetic output, leading to warmer temperatures here on Earth. In contrast, a less active conveyor belt circulation produces a low sunspot count and weak electromagnetic output, leading to lower temperatures here on Earth. The graph below shows the correlation between the sunspot count and global surface temperatures:

On May 10, 2006, NASA scientists proclaimed that the great conveyor belt of the sun had slowed significantly.  At the time, NASA solar physicist David Hathaway spoke of the slow conveyor belt circulation stating “It’s off the bottom of the charts…We’ve never seen speeds so low.” 

This is just about the strongest statement that a government-funded physicist can make against global warming and still feed his children. Since then, the sunspot count has continued to remain depressed, far below normal levels, foreshadowing a period of colder weather that we expect to last beyond 2020.

While we find weather patterns fun and interesting to study, we have an ulterior motive: how can we profit from a decline in temperatures? The key takeaways from our “Global Cooling” thesis are the impacts on grain yields and increased precipitation (snowfall). Based on our research, we expect grain prices to remain elevated as shortened growing seasons and negative yield events usually coincide with periods of low solar activity. 

Our favorite Global Cooling play, Compass Minerals (CMP), provides investors two ways to win: Compass produces highway deicing salt (rock salt) in North America and the United Kingdom and is the largest producer of specialty fertilizer in North America. In 2010, Compass generated 81.41% of their revenues from salt sales and 17.55% of their revenues from specialty fertilizer production.

We believe Compass will also benefit from its planned expansion of their evaporation ponds, doubling their low cost production of Sulfate Of Potash (SOP) fertilizer, which is used by farmers to help improve the yields of high-value crops like fruit and vegetables. 

As New Englanders, we aren’t looking forward to a decade of declining temperatures but identifying this trend early has introduced several exciting investment opportunities that the market is currently overlooking.

Unit Economics is a Boston-based independent research firm.  We provide institutional investors with insightful macro and thematic research and actionable equity ideas, both long and short.  Our work stems from out of consensus views accompanied by extensive research and a fundamentally-oriented ‘Unit Economics’ approach to financial modeling and forecasting. 

Disclosure:  Clients of Unit Economics own a significant amount of shares of Compass Minerals.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• 23 Charts On The Amazing History Of Human Progress
• Here's How The Clean Air Act Saved Americans $12 Trillion Over The Last Two Decades

Priority One Medical Transport is seeking to fill full-time positions for experienced EMT Supervisors for our various substations located throughout Los Angeles County.

SUMMARY
Directs and coordinates activities of field providers assigned to a specific response area by performing the following duties.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
ÎAssures that all assigned personnel report to duty on time.
ÎRelays and explains special messages and directives from the company’s managers and directors.
ÎInforms field providers of changes in regulations and policies, implications of new or amended policies or procedures and new techniques of patient care.
ÎAssists field providers in performance of their duties.
ÎReviews quality of patient care reports and unit check out forms prepared by field providers.
ÎPerforms inspection tours of deployment stations and crews quarters. Inspects the facility, equipment, supplies, and personnel to ensure efficiency and enforcement of company policies and procedures.
ÎTours response areas to ensure proper execution of appropriate field and patient care procedures.
ÎDetermines a plan of action for ambulances to respond to multiple casualty incidents, participates in MCI drills, and arranges for crew participation for training
ÎResponds to scenes, when necessary, to coordinate and supervise field provider activities and to report events to managers and directors.
ÎRecommends the purchase of new equipment and use of new techniques in EMS field operations.
ÎDirects personnel in the use of vehicles and patient care equipment.
ÎInvestigates charges of inefficiency or neglect of duty against field providers and recommends action based on the findings.
ÎRecommends awards for personnel achieving superior performance.
ÎInvestigates and prepares reports of accidents involving equipment, patients and personnel.
ÎPromotes health care awareness and prevention by participating in community activities and serves as a company representative promoting positive customer relationships through proactive involvement in public business. Also, facilitates in-services for facilities to help staff members gain a better understanding of our services.
ÎInspects uniform appearance of field providers and checks ambulances for conformity to standards.
ÎConsults with law enforcement officers, fire personnel, and health care professionals, to provide or obtain information.
ÎPrepares reports about shift activities, unit efficiency, discipline, and personnel evaluation and submits reports to managers and directors.
ÎPrepares weekly deployment schedules for field providers maintaining adequate coverage for call volume, fills vacancies in the shift schedules and projects future labor needs.
ÎAssists field providers in obtaining necessary licenses, permits, classes, and certifications to maintain active provider status.
ÎAssists in the training of field providers.
ÎMonitors inventory for supplies, places and receives orders, and distributes equipment and supplies.
ÎParticipates in Quality Improvement activities including audits, peer review and data collection activities.
ÎParticipates in continuing education activities as a student, instructor, and proctor.
ÎEnsures compliance by monitoring ETA’s, radio communication, and reviewing reports for EMS agencies.
ÎEnforces company policies and procedures, Codes of Safe Practices, Injury and Illness Prevention Program, and local EMS policies.
ÎDocuments all corrective and/or disciplinary actions performed .
ÎPromotes good customer care and investigate all reported concerns and issues relating to requests for service.
ÎProvides positive leadership by example and promote teamwork.
ÎFacilitates and documents crew meetings for safety issues, policy and procedure updates, and performance issues.
ÎAttends monthly and periodic EMS meetings.
ÎConducts periodic visits to facilities to monitor performance of dispatch and crews and address any issues or concerns of facility staff.
ÎResponds on a unit to calls during periods of increased call volume.
ÎParticipates in MCI drills and arranges for crew participation for training
ÎCoordinates with the Communications Center to dispatch resources to MCI’s
ÎSchedules units for special events and responds to large scale and/or high profile events
ÎMonitors inventory of medical supplies and station supplies and places orders as needed
ÎEnsures safe driving by reviewing Drive-Cams, riding with crews, and observing driving habits
ÎCompletes employee performance evaluations and guides employee improvement
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
Directly supervises 30 to 40 employees involved in Field Operations. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.
QUALIFICATIONS To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE
Associate's degree (A. A.) or equivalent from two-year college or technical school; or six months to one year related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Recent experience as a practicing EMT field provider. Current certification as a basic life support provider.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional and industry specific journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the medical community. Ability to write reports that conform to prescribed style and format. Ability to effectively present information to co-workers, field providers, supervisors, managers and administrators. Ability to listen actively and comprehend the meaning of communications with co-workers, field providers, supervisors, managers and administrators.
MATHEMATICAL SKILLS
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
REASONING ABILITY
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS
California Driver’s License, California Ambulance Driver’s License, State of California EMT-1 Certification, Medical Examiner’s Certificate (DL-51), Basic Life Support CPR Certification, applicable local County and/or City permits, licenses, accreditations or certifications and acceptable California DMV “H-6” Printout.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to taste or smell. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to moving mechanical parts, outside weather conditions, and vibration. The employee is occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, and risk of electrical shock. The noise level in the work environment is usually loud.

If you are interested in this position, please forward your resume to the email above provided by craigslist.org or fax resumes to 800-600-4596. If you have further questions, please contact Human Resources at 800-600-4633.

All full-time employees are eligible for benefits after probation period including: medical, dental, vision, Aflac and paid vacation.

As a rule, entrepreneurs tend to be independent thinkers. That can often be a real strength in persevering against the myriad of challenges involved in building a business. But, when an entrepreneur makes the decision to become a franchisee, they need to curtail some of that independent spirit since they are now part of a bigger organization.

What that means, then, is that you often need to get approval before you take action on any wild new plans, such as changing the color scheme of the franchise brand. "We walk a fine line between squelching the creativity and ingenuity of franchisees and protecting the integrity of our brand," says David Lewis, the head of franchising at Express Employment Professionals, a staffing firm with some 600 franchised locations. "We encourage our franchisees to express their personality without changing the core branding. Some owners in our system choose to set up their offices with traditional desks and chairs in the lobby. Others may go for hip and funky vibe. That's okay too. But our blue logo just wouldn't look right in purple just as the golden arches wouldn't be the same in pink."

The good news is that there are many ways that entrepreneurs can express their creativity and still enjoy all the benefits that come from being a franchisee. The key, says Lewis, is to get approval from your franchisor ahead of time so that you can get their support, such as extra marketing muscle, behind it. "Franchisors want to incorporate the best practices of franchisees," he says. "But if it isn't in the best interest of the organization, you risk damaging your relationship by making changes in secret. View the relationship as a partnership and your franchisor should too."

Given that advice, here are some examples of how entrepreneurs can successfully personalize their franchise.

How to Give Your Franchise a Personal Touch: Give it Some Local Flavor

When Natasha Nelson founded Yogurtini, a self-serve frozen yogurt restaurant in Tempe, Arizona, she offered a variety of flavors like green tea or acai as well as toppings such as frozen brownie bites and jalapenos that she figured would appeal to the local students from Arizona State University. But now that she has turned into a franchisor, with three franchisees and five more in the works, she knows that her franchisees need to offer popular flavors based on where they are located. "What is popular in our Tempe location may not be as popular in our Kansas City store, which is based in a residential mall and serves mostly moms and their kids," says Nelson. "So although we have approved flavors, we definitely want them to figure out what is going to sell in their area based on things like the location, the weather or the clientele."

Similarly, Jeni Garrett, CEO of the Victoria, Texas-based Woodhouse Day Spa, a business with 23 franchises, says that franchisees are given "local options" over the kinds of inventory they carry in their spas. "We have our core and optional Woodhouse approved lines and then they can submit local options to us for approval," says Garrett, who expects the company to grow to 125 locations over the next five years.

Dig Deeper: How to Build Your Dream Franchise


How to Give Your Franchise a Personal Touch: Knock Their Socks Off

One of the most straightforward aspects any franchisees can personalize about his or her business is the service. "'Knocking customers' socks off with superior or friendlier service than they find elsewhere is probably the best and most rewarding way to personalize a franchise," says Reid Neubert, a marketing and branding expert based in San Rafael, California. "Being proactive where appropriate and following up in a personal way are unexpected and welcome customer service improvements." Neubert says that you can also make the business as welcoming as possible – such as focusing on neatness, cleanliness, decor, holiday decorations, landscaping, etc. – as long as what you do adheres to the franchise brand guidelines.

Dig Deeper: How to Start a Home-Based Franchise


How to Give Your Franchise a Personal Touch: Run a Campaign

Most franchisors encourage their franchisees to come up with creative ways to market their product or service. For example, one Express franchisee handed out gifts to potential clients that corresponded with the Twelve Days of Christmas, a campaign that eventually went national. "It wasn't a fancy idea, but it works really well," says Lewis. "Case in point, we have had 1,500 similar campaigns ordered by franchisees for this holiday season."

Similarly, a Yogurtini franchisee ran a promotion in partnership with a Victoria's Secret where customers who donated a piece of clothing received a 20 percent discount on the frozen yogurt. "Our franchisees are the experts in their local markets and we want to give them a say in how they reach out to their customers," says Nelson.

Dig Deeper: How to Determine Which Franchise Business is Best for You


How to Give Your Franchise a Personal Touch: Hold an Event

Just Between Friends, a leading children's and maternity franchise with 112 locations in 22 states, is based on the idea that each franchisee will hold two sales events a year - once in spring and once in fall - where local families act as consignors and sharing in the profits. "We encourage our franchisees to put their personal touch on their events in order to be successful in their city or community," say Shannon Wilburn and Daven Tackett, co-founders of the company. "From choosing their own local charity partner to targeting their promotions to their community to their pricing for admission fees, adding that 'personal touch' definitely helps each franchisee succeed."

For example, Tracey Gifford, who owns a Just Between Friends franchise in Denver, calls her sales events a "Kids Gear and Clothing Sale" instead of a "Children's Maternity Consignment Event" to better connect with local customers. "Gear is a common term in Denver since sports and outdoor activities are big here," she says. "In our marketing and PR we also focus on the green aspect of the event. That is what appeals to people in Denver."

Joanie Morrison and Pam Willingham, who are Just Between Friends franchisees in Fort Worth, Texas, personalized their annual sale by raising the price of the fee early-bird shoppers pay, to $10, up from the $1 or $5 similar events charge. "We are already the biggest event in Texas and a lot of people that shop our sale do so because they like going to the biggest event," say Morrison and Willingham. "So we focus on making sure we have the biggest and best selection above all else. Even though we took the risk of raising our price, people couldn't give us their money fast enough because they are willing to pay to shop the biggest event."

Dig Deeper: How to Evaluate a Franchise Business Plan


How to Give Your Franchise a Personal Touch: Connect with Your Community

Active community involvement is one of the best ways to 'personalize' your franchised business," says Daniel Durney, co-founder PowerHouse Franchising, a franchise consulting business in Mesa, Arizona. "If you look for ways to volunteer, sponsor or participate with various community-based events, you build local friendships, give back to the community that supports your specific location and often generate very positive PR."

Durney points to the national franchise, Massage Envy, as a model example of how individual locations hold community-specific events. For instance, one franchisee in Fairfield, Connecticut, partners with St. Vincent's Medical Center to offer digital breast cancer screenings via a mobile mammogram unit and holds a raffle in partnership with other local businesses.

Dig Deeper: 5 Requirements for a Successful Franchise Model


How to Give Your Franchise a Personal Touch: Express Yourself Online

The rise of social media tools available to business owners such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs has given franchisees a whole roster of new options to connect with their customers on a personal level. "Our franchisees blog and create a personalized, mom-and-pop feel to their business by blogging about their projects, Facebooking with photos of wraps and tweeting about their new deals, clients and prospects," says Mike Enos, owner of Fast Wrap USA, a company with 60 franchises that offers mobile wrapping for foreclosed homes, stalled construction projects and weatherization for boats and other recreational vehicles. "This way, clients and prospects can stay in engaged with the day-to-day workings of the business and they feel like they have a more personal relationship with the business owner."

Dig Deeper: Congrats, Graduate. Here's A Franchise.

If defense, as the saying goes, wins championships, then it's obviously a critical investment on your family's part. We made our weekly trip to Consumers Union's state-of-the-art testing laboratory with a number of DI-AA defenses in tow to see which ones present the best value for your money and which ones would just sit there picking dandelions in the defensive backfield while opposing players high-stepped into the end zone. Some of our results may surprise you.

 

TOP RATED

TEXAS CHRISTIAN | ■ ■ ■ ■ ½
Highs: Diabolical against the pass, coordinator goes by "Dick Bumpas."
Lows: Has yet to be truly tested, mascot still frightens small children.
Never mind that they lead the nation in both points and yardage allowed; never mind that they pitched back-to-back shutouts last month; never mind even that they've only granted two teams all season the privilege of scoring more than 10 points on them. The fact that their defensive coordinator's name is Dick Bumpas -- and that he has a mustache that would fit right in with those of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday at the O.K. Corral -- is what raises the 2010 TCU Horned Frogs up from mere defensive excellence to the level of folklore. You could say they haven't really faced an elite offense yet, but they did hold Air Force's triple-option nearly 100 yards below its season rushing average and dominate a Baylor team that's currently in first place in the Big 12 South. No offense to the Boise State Broncos, who field a fine D themselves, but it's criminal that TCU isn't getting more national-title talk from the pundits. Or that the Horned Frogs' defensive players haven't been brought into the recording studio, a la the '85 Chicago Bears, and allowed to record their own single of "The Bumpty Dance." 

ABOVE AVERAGE

ALABAMA | ■ ■ ■ ■ □
Highs: Aggressive, productive "turnover" setting.
Lows: Redesigned parts still have a murky reliability record, powerless against shirtless, pot-smoking spiritual guides.
Everybody rolled their eyes when we predicted that the Crimson Tide defense, fresh off losing half the starting 11 from the previous season's national-title squad, wouldn't take all that big a step back in 2010. Well, here we are in November, the Tide are still in the thick of the national-title picture, and they're still sending opposing QBs home, in the words of the estimable Kool Keith, wearing tight pants and lipstick. Some buyers seem to be sleeping on Alabama based on one unfortunate afternoon in Columbia, South Carolina, and indeed, we'd be cagey about purchasing this unit for any situation where it might have to go up against a QB with the long-haired, sticky-icky-icky-powered mojo of the brahsome Stephen Garcia (or anyone else who finds his spiritual center in the wisdom of Tiny Floating Shirtless Matthew McConaughey). With that unpleasantness behind them, though, Bama seems poised to crush three straight heads this month to build up a head of steam before facing Cam Newton in the Iron Bowl to end all Iron Bowls.

SYRACUSE | ■ ■ ■ ½ □
Highs: Quiet, compact, useful both indoors and outdoors.
Lows: Has looked good against less-than-stellar competition, nagging feeling that the bottom may yet drop out.
The hell? Syracuse, who'd averaged exactly 0.8 Big East wins per year -- that's Big East wins, mind you, not actual wins -- over the five previous seasons, getting a recommendation as a defense to buy in 2010? You read that right: Not only are the Orange sitting squarely in the top 15 nationally in total defense, they're in second place in the league and are a single win away from bowl eligibility. The caveats we mentioned in regard to TCU's defense applies here as well -- the Orange's schedule has been ridiculous, to the point where their one truly crowning achievement was probably distracting Bill Stewart with old "Murder, She Wrote" episodes long enough to hold his West Virginia team to 14 points. And in the interest of full safety disclosure, we have to point out that their coordinator, Scott Shafer, voluntarily resigned from Rich Rodriguez's staff at Michigan after only one year for, in his words, bringing about "the demise of the Michigan program." But his work at 'Cuse has been so promising as to nearly block that transgression from our memory, and besides, it's not like he's the only one responsible.

 

AVERAGE

DUNLOP SP SPORT 8000 | ■ ■ ■ ½ □
Highs: Affordable price, solid handling on wet roads, makes a good blocker.
Lows: Mediocre grip, helpless in the 3-4.
An affordable summer performance tire with solid results in suboptimal weather conditions, the Dunlop SP Sport series gets our nod as one of the better buys on the market, not to mention a stalwart obstacle to most of today's college offenses. There's a reason the "tire run" has become a staple of modern football's conditioning drills, and the SP Sport proved to be harder to navigate for our battery of offensive skill-position players than any other product in this test. Stack 'em high and they make for a formidable wall of tackling dummies, too. Of course, you'll need a lot of them to make that work, and we never did find a combination that paid off in a one-gap 3-4 front. For that reason, we can't recommend the Dunlop if you're going to be using them primarily spread-style offenses. Against more conventional attacks, however, or in parts of the country where the weather can be unpredictable, we offer the SP Sport 8000 as a perfectly reasonable (and cost-effective) choice.

NORTH CAROLINA | ■ ■ ■ □ □
Highs: Does more with less.
Lows: Controversy in upper management may scare away more conservative buyers.
Left for dead after their ranks were decimated by this past summer's sprawling Agentgate scandal, the Tarheels have somehow kept their heads above water, overcoming a dispiriting 0-2 start to remain in the hunt for the ACC Coastal Division title. Other than a poor performance at Miami, the 'Heels haven't let anyone crack the 20-point barrier on them in more than a month, and they've managed this despite half their starting defense being anything from "suspended" to "permanently ineligible" at any given point thanks to improper agent-related activity. It is for that reason that we can't give UNC our full recommendation, since at any moment the NCAA could bring down the "no institutional control" emascul-axe and effectively blast the Tarheel football program back to Division II levels. As a serviceable deterrent against ACC-caliber offenses, though, or a bye-week plug-in for your college fantasy team, though, the 'Heels remain a solid option.

 

BELOW AVERAGE

MICHIGAN | ■ □ □ □ □
Highs: Well, the helmets look nice.
Lows: Pass defense would get laughed off an Arena League field, poor performance of sack/turnover attachments.
In our recommendation of the Syracuse defense earlier, we mentioned the caveat that Scott Shafer had had a less-than-stellar record in his previous position with the Michigan Wolverines. For a graphic example of just how much worse things could get, though -- for both the Wolverines and the Orange -- look no further than what the Orange's ex-coach, Greg "GERG" Robinson, has assembled in Ann Arbor. Robinson has had to deal with more than his share of suspensions and roster attrition this year, but it's not like he was doing all that well last year, either. To call this year's secondary "sieve-like" does a disservice to sieves, which provide a useful service in the kitchen; Robinson, however, hasn't provided a useful service anywhere in about a decade. The one bright spot for the maize-and-blue faithful is that Denard Robinson's Heisman credentials can only be bolstered by having to singlehandedly win 38-35 shootouts every single week.

TEXAS TECH | ■ □ □ □ □
Highs: If you pray hard enough they might yet have a 3-2 game in 'em.
Lows: Secondary is even worse than it was before Ruffin McNeill cleaned things up.
Remember when Tommy Tuberville was going to bring a hard-nosed defensive attitude to Lubbock? Ahh, a simpler time, ten months ago. Those who feared Tubbs might turn Texas Tech into something more along the lines of one of his late-career Auburn squads can rest easy, as the Red Raiders currently look nothing like a Tuberville team -- they pass all over the place but can't run worth a lick, and they can't stop anyone, either, ranking dead last in the Big 12 (and eighth from the bottom nationally) in total yardage allowed. Then again, they're 4-4 and completely uninteresting to watch, so maybe Tubbs succeeded in remaking this team in his image better than anyone realized. Give him another year or two to get his system in place and he might be able to pull another wildly entertaining 3-2 final score out of nowhere, but for now, this system just isn't worth your hard-earned dollars.

 

NOT ACCEPTABLE

WAKE FOREST | X
There's bad defense, and then there's the just plain inexplicable. Sixty-eight points given up to Stanford? OK, that's embarrassing, but it was on the road, and Stanford's an incredibly talented team. Fifty-two to Virginia Tech? Uh, well, they're the favorite in the ACC Coastal, but they still lost to JMU, guys. Forty-eight to Duke? Sixty-two to Maryland?!?! OK, seriously, folks, I could pick any ten players of Wake's field hockey team and together we could probably hold the Terps under 60. Granted, everyone knew the Demon Deacons were heading into this season with a depleted roster, but 62 points to Maryland -- a team that hadn't scored that many in its three previous games combined -- makes us wonder if the "WF" logo on the Deacs' helmets isn't missing a letter T in the middle. This year's Wake defense should not be used to protect anything in your home, be it your valuables, your end zone, or your children; until major improvements are made, it earns our Not Acceptable rating with extreme prejudice.

Pentagon going green, because it has to

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The US military's heavy dependence on fossil fuels is a dangerous vulnerability, officials said Wednesday as they made a fresh push to develop renewable energy solutions for the battlefield.

In the wake of a spate of deadly attacks on tankers carrying fuel to foreign troops in Afghanistan, Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke of a "strategic imperative" for the US military to become more efficient and find new sources of energy.

The Department of Defense is burning through 300,000 barrels of oil a day, using more energy per soldier every year and its top import to Afghanistan is fossil fuels, the highest ranking US military officer said as he kicked off a Pentagon discussion on energy security.

Venezuela, Libya Tout $100 Oil With OPEC Poised to Keep Quotas

(Bloomberg) -- Venezuela and Libya said oil at $100 a barrel will compensate producers for a slide in the dollar without derailing the global economic recovery.

Crude at $90 to $100 won’t “harm” growth, Venezuelan Energy and Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez said as ministers gathered for the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ meeting in Vienna at which members are likely to keep production quotas unchanged. Shokri Ghanem, chairman of Libya’s National Oil Corp., also called for higher prices even as other nations said they were content with prices at $70 to $85 a barrel.

“No one will hate oil at $100,” Ghanem said. “The weakening dollar is weakening our income.”

Oil Rises a Second Day on Forecasts of Increased Demand, Dollar's Decline

Crude climbed for a second day as growing speculation the Federal Reserve will bolster the U.S. economy stoked gains for commodities, while Saudi Arabia’s oil minister said demand is “very healthy.”

Crude advanced as much as 1.3 percent amid evidence that supplies are falling after the American Petroleum Institute said U.S. inventories slid the most since July. The U.S. Department of Energy will issue its supply report later today. Oil has gained 2.3 percent since Oct. 12, when the Fed released minutes showing policy makers are prepared to buy more government debt.

Rising fuel costs mean higher heating bills this winter

Households will spend more on heating this winter as fuel prices rise and colder weather than last year in the Northeast increases demand, the Energy Department said Wednesday.

The average cost to heat a home will rise 2.5% — or $24 to $986 — because the price of all fuel except electricity will rise modestly, the department said in its annual winter heating outlook.

Gasoline Rebound in U.S. Fans Europe's September Exports

Bookings of tankers to ship European gasoline across the Atlantic increased in September as the profit margin from the trade rebounded from the least in a year and U.S. supplies fell to a three-month low.

OPEC begins output meeting, oil price firms

VIENNA (AFP) – OPEC, which pumps 40 percent of the world's oil, began a ministerial meeting here on Thursday to decide whether to change production levels amid a rise in demand, as the oil price edged up.

Saudi Arabia's Oil Minister Naimi Says Demand for Oil Is `Very Healthy'

Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali al- Naimi said oil demand is “very healthy.” He spoke to reporters this morning at the Vienna headquarters of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries shortly before ministers began their meeting. Al-Naimi made the following comments:

Iran faces fuel policy fears: IEA

PARIS (AFP) – Iranian energy policy is seriously constrained by several dilemmas over petrol rationing and concern about social unrest if fuel subsidies are reduced, the IEA said on Wednesday.

Tehran has postponed reducing subsidies for fuel, leaving domestic demand high and petrol (gasoline) sold at "a huge loss," the International Energy Agency said in a regular monthly report.

Iran: Sanctions an 'opportunity' for domestic firms

VIENNA - A large-scale withdrawal from Iran by international companies as part of economic sanctions represent an "opportunity" for domestic companies, the Islamic republic's oil minister said Thursday.

"Iran is not a poor country," Masoud Mir Kazemi told reporters going into a meeting of OPEC oil ministers in Vienna.

"The refraining of western companies was an opportunity for our own banks and companies to find themselves. Absorbing investment is not a problem."

Iraq to Add 300,000 Barrels a Day of Capacity in 2011, Shahrastani Says

Iraq plans to add capacity next year to produce 300,000 barrels of oil a day, Minister Hussain al- Shahristani said.

The country, the only OPEC member not subject to production quotas, also will present a draft agreement to the Iraqi cabinet for a gas joint venture with Royal Dutch Shell Plc by the end of the year, al-Shahristani told reporters today before the beginning of closed-door talks.

Iraq oil ambitions not viable

Iraq will be a game changer for world oil supply but not any time soon, energy experts told the Oil and Money conference in the British capital. The panel cast doubt on the agenda set by the Iraqi oil minister Hussein al Shahristani for foreign oil companies to boost production from Iraq's biggest oilfields by huge amounts, raising the country's output capacity almost fivefold to about 12 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2017 from about 2.4 million bpd currently.

Shell Philippine Unit Has $567 Million Smuggling Complaint From Government

The Philippines filed a 24.5 billion peso ($567 million) smuggling complaint against the local unit of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, saying it was shifting its drive against tax evasion “to a much higher gear.”

Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. evaded 2.72 billion pesos of excise and value-added taxes by misdeclaring and misclassifying 52 shipments from 2005 to 2009, the Bureau of Customs said in a statement. It said it was seeking the maximum fine of 800 percent, or 21.8 billion pesos, on top of this.

French Strike Extended as Sarkozy, Unions See No Common Ground

French labor unrest threatened to trigger fuel shortages as refinery workers extended their protest against a plan to raise the retirement age, and disruptions in public transport eased.

Total SA, Europe’s biggest oil refiner, started to halt operations at all its French plants. Workers at the company’s Donges refinery near Nantes voted to remain on strike until Oct. 18, according to the CGT union.

Shell's Voser talks up natural gas

Natural gas will become an increasingly important energy source in coming decades, says the chief executive of Royal Dutch Shell. "Natural gas has a key role to play. It provides a low-cost pathway to clean electricity," Peter Voser told the Oil and Money conference yesterday in the British capital. Environmentalists often snub gas as a non-renewable fossil fuel associated with greenhouse gas emissions, although it produces less emissions than arise from the burning of oil or coal. It will be needed to meet global energy demand that is expected to double in the first part of this century while governments seek to limit climate change, Mr Voser argued.

US Shale Discovery Bonanza Is Over - Chesapeake CEO

Chesapeake's Chief Executive Aubrey McClendon said that most significant natural gas and oil shale fields in the U.S. have already been found, and that investors shouldn't hold their breath for major new discoveries.

"If you decided, I'm going to pass on the Barnett, pass on the Haynesville, pass on the Marcellus, and you were going to wait for the next four or five--there won't be any," McClendon said Wednesday during the company's annual meeting with analysts, referring to tight, hydrocarbons-rich rock formations in Texas, Louisiana and the U.S. Northeast, respectively. "By the end of 2011 it will be over. There won't be any basins that have escaped investigation."

Sakhalin-1 budget balloons

The ExxonMobil-led Sakhalin-1 development off Russia's far east is looking to double its budget to $100 billion, according to reports.

Shell urges U.S. to adopt North Sea drilling rules

(Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell said the United States should adopt tougher drilling rules applied in the North Sea, adding they could have helped prevent mistakes that contributed to BP's Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Judge asked to dismiss drilling moratorium claims

NEW ORLEANS – The Obama administration is asking a federal judge to throw out part of a lawsuit challenging its moratorium on deepwater oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico now that the ban's been lifted.

A court filing Wednesday requesting the dismissal of claims filed by Ensco Offshore comes a day after the Interior Department lifted its temporary moratorium. The Justice Department says some of the company's claims are moot.

Feds Rush Incomplete Environmental Review of Oil and Gas Drilling in Arctic Ocean

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) Alaska office, formerly the Minerals Management Service, today released a draft supplemental environmental impact statement for offshore oil and gas Lease Sale 193 in the Chukchi Sea in America’s Arctic Ocean. The statement comes just two months after a federal judge tossed out the Bush-era environmental impact statement and on the same day Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced plans to lift the moratorium on offshore oil drilling.

Today’s draft supplemental EIS chronicles these statements of missing information—over 130 pages worth in the government’s rendering—but concludes that none of the information is needed to make the decision to lease the Chukchi Sea to oil and gas companies.

China Pledges to Strengthen Ties With Southern Sudan After Secession Vote

China will continue to improve ties with Southern Sudan after a referendum in January in which the oil-rich semi-autonomous East African region will vote on secession.

A delegation of Communist Party of China officials met Southern Sudanese leaders today in Juba, the capital. China is the biggest importer of oil pumped in Sudan, where output of 490,000 barrels of oil per day ranks the country as sub-Saharan Africa’s third-largest producer.

Part 2: What consitutes overpopulation in America--carrying capacity

It all boils down to "carrying capacity'. A glass holds only so much water. A restaurant seats a limited amount of patrons. An airplane can hold exactly a limited number and not one single added person past the number of seats on the plane. Why? Because of finite space or limits!

The Earth remains finite. Therefore, it carries a limited amount of space. At some point, no matter how much humans fool themselves, they must come to terms with limited water, soil, oceans, food, energy, air and resources.

Carolyn Baker: The Witch Of Hebron And The Myth Of Post-Peak Uniformity

Take it from someone who rarely reads fiction: A World Made By Hand and The Witch of Hebron are nothing less than spellbinding.

My enchantment in reading both novels, however, has been profoundly subdued by Kunstler's disappointing portrayal of women. All female characters without exception are either spouses or partners of males or are in some way engaged in the world's oldest profession. The witch of Hebron, herself a prostitute, is a beautiful, charming, intelligent caricature, overly-idealized by Kunstler who argues that in a post-collapse world, the rights of women and minorities, so dramatically achieved in the twentieth century, will become virtually extinct in a "world made by hand."

World Food conference looks at subsistence farming

About 1 billion small farmers worldwide, many of them women, face drought, the effects of climate change and a lack of technology as they struggle to feed families on what they can raise on an acre or two of land.

Searching for Crumbs in Syria’s Breadbasket

AR RAQQAH, Syria — The farmlands spreading north and east of this Euphrates River town were once the breadbasket of the region, a vast expanse of golden wheat fields and bucolic sheep herds.

Now, after four consecutive years of drought, this heartland of the Fertile Crescent — including much of neighboring Iraq — appears to be turning barren, climate scientists say. Ancient irrigation systems have collapsed, underground water sources have run dry and hundreds of villages have been abandoned as farmlands turn to cracked desert and grazing animals die off. Sandstorms have become far more common, and vast tent cities of dispossessed farmers and their families have risen up around the larger towns and cities of Syria and Iraq.

“I had 400 acres of wheat, and now it’s all desert,” said Ahmed Abdullah, 48, a farmer who is living in a ragged burlap and plastic tent here with his wife and 12 children alongside many other migrants. “We were forced to flee. Now we are at less than zero — no money, no job, no hope.”

Fishy sustainability myths debunked

Beyond the farm, it's important to also consider the total effect of food preparation. Driving to the store alone and then cooking alone at home has a big environmental footprint.

Going out to dinner more, or just eating more frequently with friends and family at home, is more beneficial, the researchers said.

Thomas L. Friedman: Build ’Em and They’ll Come

Kishore Mahbubani, the dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, is over for tea and I am telling him about what I consider to be the most exciting, moon-shot-quality, high-aspiration initiative proposed by President Obama that no one has heard of. It’s a plan to set up eight innovation hubs to solve the eight biggest energy problems in the world. But I explain that the program has not been fully funded yet because Congress, concerned about every dime we spend these days, is reluctant to appropriate the full $25 million for each center, let alone for all eight at once, so only three are moving ahead. But Kishore interrupts me midsentence.

“You mean billion,” he asks? “No,” I say. “We’re talking about $25 million.” “Billion,” he repeats. “No. Million,” I insist.

The Singaporean is aghast. He simply can’t believe that at a time when his little city-state has invested more than a billion dollars to make Singapore a biomedical science hub and attract the world’s best talent, America is debating about spending mere millions on game-changing energy research.

South Korea Injecting 40 Trillion KRW Into Renewable Energy

South Korea is banking on the global renewable energy economy reaching $400 billion per year by 2015, and it is willing to invest 40 trillion KRW - roughly $36 billion USD - in solar, wind and other clean energy technologies to set the nation up for the future.

Iberdrola to Build Solar Power Plants in U.S.

Spanish energy group Iberdrola Renovables announced plans on Oct. 14 to build its first two solar power plants in the United States, where it is already the second largest wind power operator.

Taking a different measure

CAMBRIDGE — Like a NASA control room tracking a spacecraft, Akamai Technologies Inc.’s Network Operations Command Center in Kendall Square monitors the moment-to-moment state of the Internet from a variety of vantage points: page views, media streams, bytes delivered. But over the last two years, the firm has been focused on a measure that doesn’t show up on standard Internet traffic reports: greenhouse gas emissions.

Time to find a second Earth, WWF says

PARIS (AFP) – Carbon pollution and over-use of Earth's natural resources have become so critical that, on current trends, we will need a second planet to meet our needs by 2030, the WWF said.

UAE has world's largest footprint

The UAE had the world's highest per capita environmental footprint for the third time in a row, according to a report released yesterday by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The Living Planet report, conducted with the Global Footprint Network and the Zoological Society of London, put the UAE's per capita environmental footprint higher than those of Qatar, Denmark, Belgium and the United States.

How to deliver energy efficiency in the EU

Using energy more efficiently is the cheapest way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It also has economic, energy security and employment benefits. In a speech to a conference on EU energy policy on 30 September 2010, energy commissioner Gunther Oettinger identified energy efficiency as his “first priority”. However, EU policy and performance in this area has been disappointing to date.

Computer model reveals measures needed to cut greenhouse emissions

What is needed to cut Abu Dhabi's carbon emissions by 15 per cent in two decades? A computer model has calculated the answer.

The emirate would require a functioning nuclear programme, notable renewable energy capacity, a new technology called carbon capture - and the price of electricity and water to double. And if the goal were to cut CO2 emissions by 40 per cent? As well as those measures above, Abu Dhabi would need to recycle all its sewage water, mandate energy efficiency appliances and cut the cooling demand by 60 per cent.

Sand dunes threaten Northern Nigeria – Climate Change group

A team of experts from Network of Nigerian Environmental Study/Action Team (NEST), one of the groups building Nigerians’ adaptation to the effects of climate change, has warned that sand dunes and the harsh arid climate in Sahel area Toshua in Yobe State of North-Eastern Nigeria, are another climate change reality.

'Strong evidence' climate change caused devastating Pakistan floods

MAN-MADE climate change was a major cause of devastating floods in Pakistan this year, shifting monsoon rains away from flood defences and into areas of the country incapable of dealing with the deluge, according to Pakistani scientists.

!!! EXCITING HOLIDAY SEASON OPPORTUNITY!!!
HIRING NOW!
Headway Corporate Resources would like to announce that
Hickory Farms is now Hiring.
EARN EXTRA HOLIDAY MONEY…
AND BE A PART OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON!

Headway Corporate Resources in partnership with Hickory Farms is seeking outgoing people who are friendly and customer service oriented for great opportunities in local mall locations!

Health Insurance, Weekly Pay, Competitive Pay Rates, 30% Employee Discount, Flexible Hours!
*******Must have 3-4 years in RETAIL MANAGEMENT Experience******


Hickory Farms and Headway Corporate Resources are currently seeking a Store Team Leader. Please read the job description below and if you meet the listed requirements please apply on line for
Hillsdale Shopping Center https://www.Appone.com/MainInfoReq.asp?R_ID=499476 San Mateo, CA
Serramonte Center https://www.Appone.com/MainInfoReq.asp?R_ID=499477 Daly City, CA
Stonestown Galleria https://www.Appone.com/MainInfoReq.asp?R_ID=489222 San Francisco, CA
Westfield OakRidge Mall https://www.Appone.com/MainInfoReq.asp?R_ID=489436 San Jose, CA
Westfield at Valley Fair Mall https://www.Appone.com/MainInfoReq.asp?R_ID=489461 Santa Clara, CA
Sunvalley Mall https://www.Appone.com/MainInfoReq.asp?R_ID=489233 Concord, CA

JOB SUMMARY for Store Team Lead: Store Team Leaders – 35 hour a week seasonal leadership positions overseeing 1 Hickory Farms location. Positions start in late October and continue through the end of December. Must have management experience, good communication, organization, leadership and training skills; sales experience preferred. Must be willing to work mall hours, including nights and weekends. All positions require standing, bending and lifting up to 25 pounds on a regular basis.

REQUIREMENTS: Must have 3-4 years in retail management experience.

Assistant Team Leaders – Part time seasonal leadership positions assisting with the Management of Hickory Farms location. Positions start in late October and continue through the end of December. Must have management experience, good communication, organization, leadership and training skills; sales experience preferred. Must be willing to work mall hours, including nights and weekends. All positions require standing, bending and lifting up to 25 pounds on a regular basis.

Stonestown Galleria https://www.Appone.com/MainInfoReq.asp?R_ID=489639 San Francisco, CA
Westfield Oakridge Mall https://www.Appone.com/MainInfoReq.asp?R_ID=489689 San Jose, CA
Westfield at Valley Fair Mall https://www.Appone.com/MainInfoReq.asp?R_ID=489700 Santa Clara, CA
Sunvalley Mall https://www.Appone.com/MainInfoReq.asp?R_ID=489640 Concord, CA






ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

NOTE: As a mandatory requirement the incumbent’s criminal background records check will be reviewed for any previous criminal convictions.

1. The primary objective of the Kiosk Store Team Leader is to ensure that all associates, including himself/herself, are actively sampling and selling at all times and that budgeted sales are met or exceeded.
2. Recruits, interviews, hire, and train all kiosk associates. Initiates training and adheres to all company training procedures.
3. Provides on-going training to all associates so as to maximize sales.
4. Assures proper money handling techniques are used in keeping with Hickory Farms' policies and procedures, including register operation and bank deposits. Makes bank deposits daily or more frequently if necessary in accordance with company policy. Ensures the POS register is closed, balanced and prepared for polling on a daily basis. Ensures shift change counts are conducted daily and that associates complete all closing and bank deposit transactions.
5. Directs and oversees the activities of the kiosk to ensure efficient management in all aspects of the kiosk operation. Prepares work schedule for himself/herself, sales associates and stock labor, while adhering to company labor allocation guidelines. Ensures required meal and rest periods are provided and taken.
6. Assures the duties, responsibilities and authority of each subordinate are clearly defined and communicated. Provides subordinates with prompt and objective coaching and counseling.
7. Ensures that Hickory Farms' disciplinary policy and procedures are adhered to. Promptly counsels any associate regarding poor performance or infractions of company rules. According to company disciplinary guidelines, documents all counseling sessions and warnings, both written and verbal. Immediately notifies Headway Human Resources Department of any complaints of discrimination, sexual harassment, or other violations of the company’s EEO policy. Adheres strictly to the codes of conduct outlined in the Seasonal Employee Handbook.
8. Responsible for eliminating or minimizing inventory loss by preventing theft and controlling samples and spoilage, receiving shipments correctly, and eliminating paperwork errors.
9. Ensures the expedient set-up and take-down of the assigned unit, if so directed by the Retail Area Supervisor.
10. Completes all new hire paperwork, payroll transmittals and timesheets and submits to the Home Office on a timely basis. Promptly reports all associates who have terminated to the Headway Payroll Department. Completes all paperwork accurately and neatly, and submits it in a timely basis.
11. Maintains and stocks kiosk with product as needed. Follows the company’s policies and procedures to assure that the assigned unit is merchandised properly and maintained at all times by all associates.
12. Responsible for maintaining safety awareness and compliance with all company safety and loss prevention programs, as well as any applicable OSHA regulations. Identifies and immediately eliminates safety hazards. Takes steps to prevent safety hazards from occurring and immediately counsels any associate observed to be engaging in unsafe acts. Reports any associate or guest injuries via telephone immediately to the Corporate Insurance Department. Submits an accurately completed Incident Report within 24 hours.
13. Responsible for ensuring standards of cleanliness, sanitation and quality control in the assigned kiosk.
14. Performs any other duties as assigned by the Retail Area Supervisor, Regional Manager or other appropriate management officials.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Directly Supervises: Kiosk Sales Associates
Kiosk Stock/Labor
Indirectly Supervises: Stock/Labor Temps provided by Labor Ready

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE: High school diploma or general education degree (GED) and one years’ supervisor experience.

REASONING ABILITY AND LANGUAGE SKILLS: High Skills: Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, guests, and the general public.

MATH SKILLS: Intermediate Skills: Ability to compute discount, interest, profit and loss; commission, mark-up, and selling price; ratio and proportion, and percentage.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS: There are no special certificates, licenses, or registrations required to perform the essential duties or responsibilities of this position. (Unless otherwise required by local Health Department.)

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT: Telephone, calculator, POS register, credit card swipe machine, price label gun, hand truck, ladder and miscellaneous equipment used to stock and merchandise inventory.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Physical Activities: Standing, walking, use of hands and fingers, grasping, reaching, climbing, lifting, stooping, kneeling, crouching, talking, hearing, and repetitive motions.

Physical Requirements: Medium Work: Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 42 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

VISUAL ACUITY: Standard A: This is a minimum standard for use with those whose work deals largely with preparing and analyzing data and figures, accounting, transcription, computer terminal, extensive reading, visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, operation of machines (including inspection), using measurement devices, assembly of fabrication or parts at distances close to the eyes.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Most work is performed in a normal retail mall environment. Worker is subject to hazards and occasional exposure to the weather and to cold temperatures.

ATTENDANCE: Regular attendance at the job site during assigned business hours is required. The Kiosk Store Team Leader must schedule himself/herself for no less than 35 hours per week, but must work whatever hours are necessary to ensure the efficient operation of the unit. Must be able to work all weekday and weekend shifts. Must be able to travel to the kiosk on short notice, on any day of the week and at any time so as to resolve any problems which may occur.

TRAVEL: Local travel may be required as business needs dictate. Overnight travel may be required on occasion.


This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by this associate. S/he will be required to follow any other instructions and to perform any other duties requested by his/her supervisor.

CA PPO# 10116

U.S Security Associates, Inc. (USA) provides high-value security solutions for over 2,800 clients nationwide, and is an association of security professionals united by the highest standards of integrity, quality, and respect for every associate!

With 250 offices throughout the United States, USA is the fastest-growing, and one of the four largest uniformed security officer providers in the U.S.

We offer the highest-value service solutions for our clients and provide better service at lower cost by putting our money where it counts - in security program design, security officer wages, background screening, training, supervision, and the most responsive customer service offices in the business.

If you enjoy working in a professional environment, have excellent customer service skills, and are dedicated to doing a great job, this may be the opportunity for you!

District Manager

Los Angeles Region

I. JOB FUNCTION

At the direction of the Vice President of Operations or Business Unit President, manage a branch office or smaller profit center area and staff, provide profit and loss oversight, and ensure accountability for quality customer service delivery. Implement business programs in accordance with Vice President of Operations or Business Unit President direction and within scope of all company policies and procedures.

II. MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage difficult or emotional customer service situations; respond promptly to customer needs, solicit feedback to improve service, meet commitments.
• Balance team and individual responsibilities; contribute to building a positive team environment.
• Communicate with customers regarding new and existing accounts and provide feedback and solutions to the Vice President of Operations or Business Unit President regarding status and potential improvement.
• Achieve area business objectives for operations including, but not limited to; risk management, revenue, client satisfaction, net contribution, government compliance, internal quality assurance and performance management.
• Accountable for knowledge of finance and expenditure of area managed.
• Ensure company principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, retention, selection and employee relations are adhered to in area.
• Implement company policies and procedures into existing and new customer accounts.
• Ensure security personnel receive proper training commensurate with job responsibilities and that such training is properly documented.
• Ensure quality improvement processes are integrated into area operations.
• Be accountable for all local area operations personnel status change forms.
• Serve as a member of the operations safety team and prepare monthly safety inspection reports if designated by Vice President of Operations or Business Unit President.
• Ensure all state licensing requirements are met.
• Prepare and implement site-specific customer post orders.

III. MINIMUM POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

• This position requires four years of post-high school education.
• A minimum of two years of appropriate experience in multi-site management of a customer service-oriented operation.
• Exposure to a labor-intensive industry preferred.

IV. OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• Customer focused and able to convey a professional appearance.
• Maintain an active site visitation program by making frequent personal visits to all accounts to discuss any problems or recommendations for service improvements.
• Work closely with sales representative(s) to ensure that proper post orders are prepared prior to the initiation of service for all new accounts.
• Ensure sufficient inventory of presentable uniforms.
• Ensure all security officer and supervisor reports are properly and legibly prepared and submitted.
• Monitor and coordinate repair, maintenance and inventory of equipment assigned to the office.
• Perform other such duties as may be assigned.

V. POSITIONS SUPERVISED

Directly supervises the positions of Operations Manager, Recruiter and Field supervisor. This position, may, in some cases supervise a Project Manager. Indirectly supervises all employees in the operational district.

VI. EQUIPMENT USED

General office equipment including, but not limited to, personal computer, telephone, fax, copier, LCD projector, scanner, digital camera.

VII. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this position the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to finger, handle or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 35 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

The work environment characteristics described are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this position the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions as they relate to travel. The noise environment is usually moderate.

Please send resume to Soames Navarro, Vice President of Operations at:
Jobs930@ussecurityassociates.com

US Security Associates is proud to be a Military-Friendly, Equal Opportunity Employer

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Stan Lee's Superhumans — Episode Guide Episode Guide — History.com
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Mixed Results At New Flying Events from AVwebFlash Current Issue
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IWM Duxford Autumn Air Show celebrates the 65th birthday of B-17 Sally B from Flightline UK
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Cargill Salt has immediate openings for Maintenance Mechanic
Pay rate = $26.15/hr

We invite you to apply online at www.ichoosecargill.com
> Click on Careers at Cargill Select Current Opening > Click on Production and Maintenance (non-management) Search for job number NEW00393

Cargill Salt, Newark, CA is currently accepting applications for Maintenance Mechanic
NO RELOCATION ASSISTANCE PROVIDED
Cargill Salt, a business unit of Cargill, Incorporated, is a leader in the industry, providing salt, service and solutions to the food, water conditioning, agricultural, industrial, and packaged ice control markets. With a strong culture that focuses on people, this is an outstanding opportunity for qualified individuals interested in:
A safety focused culture Team environment
Development Competitive salary
Incentive program Comprehensive benefits package

This position is responsible for maintaining, repairing and performing preventative and predictive maintenance on
equipment for a salt production facility. Maintenance Mechanic is an IAM Union position starting @ $26.15 per hour.

Principal responsibilities include:
• Maintain, repair and perform Preventative Maintenance (PM) and Predictive Maintenance (PdM) rounds on production equipment such tractors, pickups, heavy mobile equipment, conveyors , pumps, piping systems, mixers, and miscellaneous processing equipment.
• Maintain, repair, perform PM's and PdM rounds on all production equipment such as pumps, piping/valve systems, mobile equipment, etc
• Learn and utilize precision maintenance craft skills
• PdM skills will be learned and utilized as needed including lubrication, ultrasonic, infrared and vibration

Secondary accountabilities include:
• Welding skills including stick and MIG welding of carbon and stainless steel, ability to do basic fabrication
• Set rigging
• Read blue prints, understand task symbols, read operation manuals, trouble shoot electrical controls
• Assist with inventory and parts as needed
Requirements:
• Excellent work history
• Minimum two years of experience as a Machinist, Maintenance Mechanic and/or Millwright with skills in a minimum of (4) four of the following areas:
o Welding/Fabrication
o Rigging systems
o Power transmission systems
o Pumps and piping systems
o Mechanical maintenance (design, reading prints)
o Hydraulic and pneumatic systems
o Material Handling Equipment (i.e. conveyors, screens, etc.)
o Automotive Maintenance
o Agricultural and Construction Mobile Equipment
• Proven ability to troubleshoot mechanical systems and implement effective solutions
• Be physically able to perform the job duties including bending, stooping, climbing stairs and ladders, working at heights up to 100 feet, lifting, working in confined spaces, using respirators and working at high temperatures

Requirements contd:

• Be willing and able to attend job related training and educational classes (i.e.: PM, PdM, Precision Maintenance, etc) outside of normal working hours and achieve ratings/marks which indicate satisfactory understanding of the job requirements. This may include travel overnight or multiple nights
• Available to work any shifts/days, demonstrate willingness to work extended hours and be available for call outs
• Must be able to work outdoors and in inclement weather.
• Have a valid driver's license
• Demonstrated positive attitude toward/interest in safety and safe work rules
• Must be able to read/write English
• Demonstrated ability to follow directions
• Right to work in the U.S. that is not based solely on possession of a student visa or a visa sponsored by a third-party employer
• High school diploma or equivalency
Assets (“Wants”):

• Experience in an industrial/manufacturing setting
• Knowledge of Predictive Maintenance technologies
• Knowledge of Proactive vs Reactive Maintenance
• Demonstrated self-initiative, ownership and drive
• Demonstrated ability to be a positive team player
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and listen well
• Pipe fitting and Fabrication
• Lubrication
• Experience working on automated equipment

As with all positions, offers of employment are conditional upon:

• Passing a pre-employment physical
• Passing a drug screen
• Passing a criminal background screen
• Verification of identity and employment eligibility

At Cargill, we believe that employees must have the opportunity to do what they do best every day. We want to understand the things that you do better than others - the talents that you rely on to succeed. As part of the application process, you may be asked to complete an online assessment. The assessment will help us determine whether our jobs will allow you to use your unique talents to their full potential.

Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. Founded in 1865, the privately held company employs 138,000 people in 67 countries. Cargill helps customers succeed through collaboration and innovation, and is committed to applying its global knowledge and experience to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever it does business. For more information, visit www.cargill.com. Whatever job you're looking for, you can probably find it at Cargill. Our diverse partnerships across a variety of industries mean countless career opportunities for you. It's your choice. It's your future. You can make it happen at Cargill.
We invite you to apply online at www.ichoosecargill.com
> Click on Careers at Cargill Select Current Opening > Click on Production and Maintenance (non-management) Search for job number NEW00393
**You must complete the online application process in order to be considered.**
If you do not have access to the Internet, please visit your local library or / your local Tri-Cities One-Stop Career Center.

Cargill Salt is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Can Africa break its 'resource curse'?

London, England (CNN) -- Many African countries are blessed with oil and mineral wealth that has the potential to transform their economies. But historically, those resources have often been more of a curse than a blessing.

There are numerous examples of African nations where the discovery of natural resources has been followed by economic instability, conflict and environmental damage. So common is the phenomenon that it even has its own name -- the "resource curse."

Michael T. Klare is a professor of peace and world security studies at Hampshire College in Massachusetts, United States, and the author of the books "Resource Wars" and "Blood and Oil."

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CARACAS, Venezuela — Some here joke that they might be safer if they lived in Baghdad. The numbers bear them out.

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Even Mexico’s infamous drug war has claimed fewer lives.

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The Beijing-Tibet expressway slowed to a crawl on August 14 due to a spike in traffic by cargo-bearing heavy trucks heading to the capital, and compounded by road maintenance work that began five days later, the Global Times said.

The state-run newspaper said the jam between Beijing and Jining city had given birth to a mini-economy with local merchants capitalising on the stranded drivers' predicament by selling them water and food at inflated prices.

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Monday's report says one of the boats — dubbed Zolfaghar, after a famed sword — has been equipped with cruise missiles. The second, Seraj or Light, is a high-speed patrol boat with a fiberglass body.

Calls to tackle rising oil imports

BEIJING - China, which is set to import more than 55 percent of its oil needs this year, should seek greater diversification of oil imports, build more stockpiles and improve conservation to enhance energy security, said analysts.

The country will see a continuous increase in oil imports, as domestic production cannot keep pace with the fast growing economy, said Zhou Dadi, a researcher with the Energy Research Institute under the National Development and Reform Commission.

"We should have long-term plans to address oil security," he added.

Oil hovers below $74 amid growth uncertainty

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Hedge Funds Cut Gasoline Bets Most Since 2006

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Hedge funds and other large speculators reduced wagers on rising prices by 74 percent the week ended Aug. 17, the most since October 2006, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission reported on Aug. 20. Gasoline has dropped 21 percent since reaching its 2010 high of $2.4351 a gallon on the New York Mercantile Exchange on May 3.

Kuwait signs oil pact with Iraq

KUWAIT CITY //Kuwait has signed an agreement to share oil from cross-border fields with Iraq and is waiting for its northern neighbour to reciprocate, the emirate’s oil minister has said.

The deal could help to smooth the often thorny relationship between the two countries 20 years after Saddam Hussein’s armies occupied Kuwait – an incursion that sparked the First Gulf War.

OPEC Export Revenues on The Rise

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Kuwait in $35bn oil upgrade

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The investments include a fourth refinery, a project that has stalled before in the country’s parliament.

Pakistan Gas Import Plans Delayed by Floods, Iran Sanctions

Pakistan, experiencing its worst- ever flooding, will face increasing shortages of natural gas and electricity because of international sanctions against Iran and a contract dispute with an European energy supplier.

“Pakistan is desperate as it faces huge power shortages,” said Alexis Aik, head of the global gas team at FACTS Global Energy in Singapore. “It was looking to speed up liquefied natural gas imports, which are more viable than pipeline imports.”

Iran Says Turkey May Help Build Two Petrochemical Units in Country's South

Turkey and Iran may jointly build two petrochemical units, state-run Press TV news channel reported, citing Iran’s Deputy Oil Minister.

Iran and Turkey are discussing construction of an urea and an ammonia unit in the industrial hub of Assaluyeh in southern Iran, Press TV said, citing Abdolhossein Bayat, who is also the managing director of National Iranian Petrochemical Co.

SKorea's pension fund eyes US pipeline stake

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea's national pension fund says it is interested in buying Chevron's 23.4 percent stake in Colonial Pipeline.

National Pension Service official Kim Hee-seok said on Monday that the fund is in talks with the U.S. oil pipeline operator, but emphasized that nothing has been decided on who will buy the stake.

Nabucco Gas Project Plans Georgian, Iraqi Feeder Pipelines; Avoids Iran

Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH plans to supply the natural-gas transmission route to Europe with links to Turkey’s borders with Georgia and Iraq and has decided against a link to the country’s border with Iran.

China's 1st deep-water drilling vessel being built

DALIAN - Construction of the world's largest deep-water oil drilling vessel has started in northeast China's Liaoning province.

Norway oil fund gives Israeli outfits the boot

Norway has excluded two Israeli companies from its $450 billion oil fund, claiming the outfits' activities in the Palestinian Occupied Territories are in breach of the fourth Geneva Convention.

Green light for Egypt clean fuel plant

Egyptian Refining Company (ERC), the joint venture leading a US$3.7 billion (Dh13.57bn) project to build a petroleum refinery within sight of the pyramids of Giza, has secured $2.6bn from a banking syndicate to finance the development.

“We are delighted to announce the debt package for what we believe stands as one of the largest project finance deals ever assembled in Africa,” said Marwan Elaraby, the managing director of Egypt’s Citadel Capital, which owns 85 per cent of ERC.

Sinopec Margins Set to Extend Slump as Fuel Prices Trail Crude

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., Asia’s biggest refiner, may extend a slump in profit from making gasoline and diesel as government price controls prevent the company from passing on higher crude-oil costs to customers.

Margins from processing oil fell 45 percent in the first six months as crude costs surged 84 percent, the company known as Sinopec said in its earnings statement yesterday. The stock declined the most in almost two months after second-quarter net income dropped 10 percent from a year earlier compared with a 40 percent increase in the preceding three months.

Compensation czar takes charge of $20 billion BP fund

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – A $20 billion compensation fund for economic victims of the BP Gulf oil spill opens for business on Monday amid accusations that the rules established by its administrator are unfair.

Kenneth Feinberg who will run the fund said those who sustained financial loss because of the spill could claim for damages and he promised claimants more generous treatment than they would get if they sued the energy giant for damages.

Gulf claims chief defends no-sue rule

NEW ORLEANS — The new administrator for damage claims from gulf oil spill victims said yesterday that it was his idea, not BP’s, to require that anyone who receives a final settlement from the $20 billion compensation fund give up the right to sue the oil company.

Oil's gone? Dispute's not evaporating

But did the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history really just evaporate? The government says so, but then again, it also reiterated BP's low-ball estimates of the oil flow early on, just as it supported BP's contention that there were no underwater plumes of oil. Now it tells us the oil is mostly gone.

'Cash for clunkers' car dealers investigated

WASHINGTON — The government is investigating at least 20 car dealerships it claims violated the rules of last year's cash-for-clunkers program. Government auditors say up to $94 million in rebates may be ineligible because they lack the proper documentation.

One year after the $3 billion car-buying frenzy, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reached an enforcement phase. Nine dealers have paid a total of $71,500 in fines.

Shakeup for Wellington property

In residential areas changes include density restrictions increasing to medium in areas around some housing centres, starting with Johnsonville and Kilbirnie.

“This is an important step in allowing more people to live closer to services and public transport, and to a more sustainable city better equipped to adjust to the threats of climate change and peak oil,” a council spokesman said.

“We have some greenfields development provided for, but it is also important that we don’t rely on sprawl as so many cities have with all the transport problems that brings.”

Proliferation of old-style coal plants increases despite public outcry

WYODAK, WYO. -- Utilities across the country are building dozens of old-style coal plants that will cement the industry's standing as the largest industrial source of climate-changing gases for years to come.

Going Green, Without Being Preachy About It

With a white Kangol cap tipped on his shaved head just so on a recent swampy morning, Sean Meenan led a group of girls, ages 11 to 14, around the cobalt blue, lime green and Sunkist orange outdoor patio of Habana Outpost, the ecologically conscious restaurant he owns in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

He showed off the solar panels, a rainwater-collection system that feeds the toilets, a recycling and composting station, wheat-board wall paneling and corn-based plastic cups. There was even a blender powered by a bicycle.

Statoil Chief Says Oil Producer Is Committed to Renewable Energy Projects

Statoil ASA, Norway’s biggest oil and gas producer, is committed to developing its renewable- energy investments, Chief Executive Officer Helge Lund said.

“We plan to develop and deliver on the positions we have taken,” Lund said today at a press conference in Stavanger. “There’s no reason in my view to question our commitment to our strategy. It remains firm and has broad support in the management team and the board of directors.”

South Africa: Renewable Energy 'Will Boost Jobs, Manufacturers'

Johannesburg — ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners want the government to adopt ambitious targets on renewable energy. This would help SA secure global funds for climate mitigation, cut greenhouse gas emissions, create jobs, and create a secure energy supply, say the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Greenpeace.

By 2030, at least half of SA's electricity should come from renewable resources, according to a WWF report released last week.

Nuclear Plant’s Use of River Water Prompts $1.1 Billion Debate With State

BUCHANAN, N.Y. — Just beneath the wind-stippled surface of the Hudson River here, huge pipes suck enough water into the Indian Point nuclear plant every second to fill three Olympic swimming pools. And each second they take in dozens of organisms — fish and crabs, but mostly larvae — that are at the center of a $1.1 billion debate: should the plant have to put in cooling towers that would vastly reduce the intake of water?

Australia Steps Up Renewable Energy Efforts

SYDNEY — Australia has plans to build the biggest wind farm in the southern hemisphere by 2013, part of its scramble to fight climate change and harness its abundance of clean energy sources — wind, solar, waves, geothermal energy and bioenergy.

A mixed result for the environment

On the face of it, the failure of the Labor Party, under the leadership of Julia Gillard, to secure victory in the Australian elections is a setback for those who argue that democratic political systems are capable of meeting the immense challenge of climate change.

Yasuní and the New Economics of Climate Change

(CNN) -- Yasuní is both a place and a metaphor.

The place is a UNESCO Biopshere Reserve in the Ecuadorian Amazon where two indigenous communities, the Tagaeri and the Taromenane, live in voluntary isolation. Below the biosphere lie the oil fields Isphingo, Tambococha and Tiputini, abbreviated to ITT.

Yasuní the metaphor is the initiative for paying to keep that oil underground and leave the biological and cultural diversity undisturbed.

Cuts jeopardizing quality of Environment Canada's weather service: report

OTTAWA — Sustained cuts to Environment Canada weather-service programs have compromised the government's ability to assess climate change and left it with a "profoundly disturbing" quality of information in its data network, says a newly released internal government report.

The stinging assessment, obtained through an access-to-information request, suggests that Canada's climate network infrastructure is getting progressively worse and no longer meets international guidelines.

Food crisis threatens Bolivia due to climate change

Persistent drought, cold weather and flooding, all attributed to climate change, are threatening Bolivia with a food crisis, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and experts have recently warned.

FAO coordinator Einstein Tejada said one fifth of Bolivia's territory now suffer from the effects of climate change, causing food prices to rise.

Thomas Homer-Dixon: Disaster at the Top of the World

The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, and this summer its sea ice is melting at a near-record pace. The sun is heating the newly open water, so it will take longer to refreeze this winter, and the resulting thinner ice will melt more easily next summer.

At the same time, warm Pacific Ocean water is pulsing through the Bering Strait into the Arctic basin, helping melt a large area of sea ice between Alaska and eastern Siberia. Scientists are just beginning to learn how this exposed water has changed the movement of heat energy and major air currents across the Arctic basin, in turn producing winds that push remaining sea ice down the coasts of Greenland into the Atlantic.

Globally, 2010 is on track to be the warmest year on record. In regions around the world, indications abound that earth’s climate is quickly changing, like the devastating mudslides in China and weeks of searing heat in Russia. But in the world’s capitals, movement on climate policy has nearly stopped.

Fossil Fuel Subsidies Are 12 Times Support for Renewables, Study Shows

Global subsidies for fossil fuels dwarf support given to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power and biofuels, Bloomberg New Energy Finance said.

Governments last year gave $43 billion to $46 billion of support to renewable energy through tax credits, guaranteed electricity prices known as feed-in tariffs and alternative energy credits, the London-based research group said today in a statement. That compares with the $557 billion that the International Energy Agency last month said was spent to subsidize fossil fuels in 2008.

“One of the reasons the clean energy sector is starved of funding is because mainstream investors worry that renewable energy only works with direct government support,” said Michael Liebreich, chief executive of New Energy Finance. “This analysis shows that the global direct subsidy for fossil fuels is around ten times the subsidy for renewables.”

Disguised Blessing

Oil is nobody's poster child at the moment, what with the spill off China's Dalian port an aching reminder of the much larger calamity on the U.S. Gulf coast and persistent fouling of places like Nigeria. This can be a dirty business, even before the fossil fuel is burned and we experience whatever the effects of that are.

Yet there is good news on the oil front--the gloomiest pricing scenario has not happened. Remember July 2008, when spot crude exceeded $140 a barrel? Serious people were contemplating a $200 level, and some in the "peak oil is here" camp--that's the theory that the world has already begun to exhaust its reserves and, thus taken by surprise, will enter a panicky price spiral--were talking $300. In fact, the spot price has barely touched $83 in 22 months.

Oil Falls, Poised for Weekly Decline, on Weaker Global Economic Concern

Oil fell in New York, poised for its biggest weekly decline in four, on concern that faltering global economic growth will curtail a recovery in fuel demand.

Crude pared yesterday’s 1.8 percent gain as Asian and European equities dropped before a report on U.S. gross domestic product. Oil has retreated 1.4 percent this week, its largest loss since the five days ended July 2. Prices may decline next week as U.S. inventories rise, according to a Bloomberg survey of analysts.

British Gas warns of rise in energy bills

British Gas, major provider of gas and electricity to UK homes, has said energy bills may rise although it "will try to delay" the hike as long as it can.

The warning comes just as the company is being pressurised by consumer groups to cut energy bills, after it reported a 98 per cent rise in profits to £585m over last year.

Gulf of Mexico Oil Imports Rise as Floating Storage Wanes

Oil imports into the Gulf of Mexico region surged to a record last week as the profits from floating storage evaporated, pushing traders to unload their cargoes and forcing crude futures lower.

The price advantage for traders who buy oil and store it at sea for a month instead of delivering it immediately has shrunk 90 percent since May. Floating storage in the Gulf dropped 24 percent in the week ended July 23, Bloomberg data show.

Rosneft, Others May Deliver Gasoline to Iran

Rosneft, Gazprom Neft and Tatneft may begin delivering gasoline to Iran in a month, the head of the Iran Commission of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry said Thursday.

Talks are being held on a “working level” and the first delivery may take place in late August or September, Rajab Safarov said in an interview.

China Declares Sovereignty in Southern Sea as U.S. Seeks Role in Disputes

China declared its “indisputable sovereignty” over the South China Sea and held naval drills in the waters, pushing back against a U.S. role in resolving disputes in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

“China has indisputable sovereignty of the South Sea and China has sufficient historical and legal backing” to underpin its claims, Geng Yansheng, a Ministry of Defense spokesman, told reporters at a military compound outside Beijing today. It opposes efforts to “internationalize” the issue and will resolve differences through “friendly negotiation,” he said.

Big Oil posts better profits on higher fuel prices

NEW YORK — The major oil companies continue to climb back from the recession, with higher fuel prices driving up earnings.

After setting record profits in 2008, the oil industry tanked last year as the global economic downturn induced a dramatic drop in oil and natural gas prices. On Thursday, Exxon Mobil Corp. said it earned $7.56 billion in the second quarter, its best result since the last three months of 2008. Royal Dutch Shell Group posted a 15 percent gain in net income. A day earlier, ConocoPhillips said net income nearly tripled in the April-June period.

Exxon Mobil, PetroChina In Talks On China Gas Project -Source

BEIJING -(Dow Jones)- U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) is in talks with PetroChina Co. to jointly explore and develop an unconventional gas block in the resource-rich Ordos basin in north China, a person who has direct knowledge of the matter told Dow Jones Newswires.

A successful conclusion to the talks would mark the entry of another global energy major into China's huge but undeveloped shale or tight gas sector, which China hasn't been able to develop due to a lack of technical expertise.

Total Reports 72% Increase in Profit After Raising Production

Total SA, Europe’s third-biggest oil company, reported a 72 percent increase in second-quarter profit after projects started last year were ramped up.

Profit excluding changes in inventories and the value of a stake in Sanofi-Aventis SA rose to 2.96 billion euros ($3.9 billion) from 1.68 billion euros a year earlier, the Paris-based company said today in a statement. That beat the 2.65 billion- euro mean estimate of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

Sunoco Rebounds on Refining

Independent refiner and marketer of petroleum products, Sunoco Inc. reported significantly better-than-expected second quarter 2010 results, driven by steady earnings from most of its business segments. Earnings per share, excluding special items, came in at $1.31, outshining the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 74 cents. The reported quarter result was substantially ahead of the loss per share of 27 cents in the second quarter 2009.

Pair of Atlantic Weather Systems Have Low Chance of Becoming Depressions

Two weather systems over the Atlantic and southeastern Caribbean have a “low chance” of strengthening into depressions or tropical storms, the National Hurricane Center said.

Russia To Export 5.5 Million Tons Urals From Primorsk In Aug

LONDON -(Dow Jones)- Russia plans to export 5.5 million metric tons, or around 1.3 million barrels a day, of Urals crude in August from its Baltic Sea port of Primorsk, which is lower than the 6 million tons planned for July, according to the loading program seen by Dow Jones Newswires Friday.

Formosa Oil Refinery Fire May Have Polluted Taiwan Fishery, Officials Say

A fire at Formosa Petrochemical Corp.’s residual processing unit this month may have polluted fishery near the plant, local government officials said.

Dead clams and fish have been found in an area of about 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres) since the July 25 accident, said Lai Chien-sheng, a section chief at the agriculture department of Yunlin county, where the plant is located. “We’re probing the cause of the deaths,” he said by phone today.

Regulators Warned Company on Pipeline Corrosion

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — The company responsible for a massive oil spill here was warned in January by federal regulators about insufficient monitoring of corrosion on the pipeline that federal officials say leaked more than one million gallons of oil into a major waterway this week.

The owner of the pipeline, Enbridge Energy Partners, received several citations from federal regulators in recent years before the warning in January. Company officials said they had routinely tested the pipeline for corrosion.

Enbridge: Corrosion not clue in oil spill

Reports of corrosion on Enbridge Inc.'s local oil pipeline aren't necessarily clues to the cause of the company's possibly 1 million-gallon leak into the Kalamazoo River this week, Enbridge officials said Thursday.

The unseen damage of a leaking pipe

Thick, black oil covers patches of grass on Debbie Howard's property, which borders the Kalamazoo River for slightly more than a mile.

Flooding has brought oil from the river onto Howard's 60-acre property in Galesburg, next to the Fort Custer Recreation Area. The water receded but left a coat of oil in its wake, she said.

Report: Michigan ranks high in pipeline accidents

WASHINGTON -- Michigan is more familiar than most states with oil spills and other pipeline accidents, according to a report released Thursday by the National Wildlife Federation.

Michigan had 61 "significant incidents" over the past decade, the ninth-largest number in the country.

Spill halted, Enbridge’s reputation sullied

The Enbridge spill into Michigan’s Kalamazoo River has been contained, but it’s left a nasty sheen on the company’s reputation and its sprawling network of aging pipelines in North America.

US expert says China's worst oil spill is far larger than government has reported so far

BEIJING (AP) — China's worst known oil spill is dozens of times larger than the government has reported, and some of the oil was spilled deliberately to avoid an even larger disaster, an American expert said Friday.

China's government has said 1,500 tons of oil spilled after a pipeline exploded two weeks ago near the northeastern city of Dalian, sending 100-foot- (30-meter-) high flames raging near one of the country's key strategic oil reserves. It has not updated that estimate since a few days after the spill.

But Rick Steiner, a former University of Alaska marine conservation specialist, estimated 60,000 tons to 90,000 tons of oil actually spilled into the Yellow Sea.

Explosion, Fire at Storage Tank at Pemex's Madero Refinery Evacuates 2,000

About 2,000 people were evacuated by Mexican authorities after an explosion and fire at a coker unit gasoline storage tank at Petroleos Mexicanos’s Francisco I. Madero refinery on the Gulf of Mexico.

The blaze was under control at 6:30 p.m. local time yesterday, said a Pemex spokesman, who asked not to be identified in accordance with company policy. No other facilities at the refinery were damaged, he said.

Libya boosts reserves

Libya's proven crude oil reserves rose to 46 billion barrels in the first half of this year after adding 612 million barrels from new fields, according to reports.

House to Take Up Offshore Drilling Reform Bill

Three months after the catastrophic oil rig explosion that sent millions of gallons of crude spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. House of Representatives was poised on Friday to debate legislation clamping down on the industry's offshore drilling practices.

BP's Hayward: 'I became a villain for doing the right thing'

Tony Hayward, who resigned as chief executive of BP in the wake of the Gulf oil spill, has said that he was turned into "a villain for doing the right thing."

In his first interview since deciding to step down, Hayward told the Wall Street Journal that he did everything possible after the Deepwater Horizon exploded, by taking responsibility for the spill and spending billions on the clean-up operation and efforts to stop the leak.

US gas stations: Stay BP or change name to Amoco?

NEW ORLEANS — BP gas station owners across the country are divided over whether the oil giant stained by its handling of the Gulf spill should rebrand U.S. outlets as Amoco or another name as part of its effort to repair the company's badly damaged reputation.

Sinopec Says BP Declined Its Offer to Buy Some `Good' Assets After Spill

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., Asia’s biggest refiner, said BP Plc declined an offer by the Chinese company to buy some of its assets.

“We’ve talked to BP on some good assets, but they won’t sell,” Zhang Jianhua, senior vice president of the company known as Sinopec, said in an interview in Shanghai today, without naming the ventures. “We aren’t in any talks with BP right now.”

Blowout Beneficiary

BP's spill is scaring oil and gas majors out of the deep water. That's good news for shale gas pioneer Range Resources.

Gulf of Mexico Has Long Been a Sink of Pollution

HOUMA, La. — Loulan Pitre Sr. was born on the Gulf Coast in 1921, the son of an oysterman. Nearly all his life, he worked on the water, abiding by the widely shared faith that the resources of the Gulf of Mexico were limitless.

As a young Marine staff sergeant, back home after fighting in the South Pacific, he stood on barges in the gulf and watched as surplus mines, bombs and ammunition were pushed over the side.

He helped build the gulf’s very first offshore oil drilling platforms in the late 1940s, installing bolts on perilously high perches over the water. He worked on a shrimp boat, and later as the captain of a service boat for drilling platforms.

The gulf has changed, Mr. Pitre said: “I think it’s too far gone to salvage.”

‘Peak oil boost for our industry’: 2020 Vision

However, the Twenty Teens are predicted to herald the arrival of Peak Oil. This will finally bring home the message that our transport needs to change dramatically.

Has this province reached its peak?

In a sense, Alberta reached its peak oil moment years ago with the decline of conventional oil reserves followed by the demise of its natural gas sector. When previous booms went bust, the expectation of the good times cycling back was always fulfilled — a resiliency no longer guaranteed.

Given its dependence on the oilsands, Calgary’s one-horse standing’s been whittled down to a pair of hooves and the pony they’re under has become an international pariah.

T3 presents - Making Sense of the Financial Crisis in the Era of Peak Oil

Transition Town Tramore (T3) and Futureproof Kilkenny have come together to organise for Canadian Energy Consultant and Financial Blogger Nicole Foss to visit the South East and give a presentation entitled Making Sense of the Financial Crisis in the Era of Peak Oil.

Nicole's presentation will give a thorough overview of the problems being faced within the financial system, and explain how it relates to the problems being experienced in the energy production system.

Living off the land

Five years have passed since we left Sydney. It seems like five minutes, yet our city life feels like a hundred years ago. We left to become as self-sufficient as possible after learning about the coming age of shortages and chaos resulting from peak oil (see opposite). Six months after leaving Sydney behind, I wrote a book called Choosing Eden (published by Random House Australia) explaining the move to the little farm we grandly called Eden Forest Permaculture Sanctuary.

Improved Gulf power grid reduces blackouts

The new GCC electricity grid has put an end to power cuts in four countries in the northern Gulf but the lack of an agreed tariff is hampering more effective use of the US$1.4 billion (Dh5.14bn) network, a senior official says.

The grid, which was connected for the first time last year, has allowed Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar to better handle surges in demand on the hottest summer days.

Spain Nearing Accord With Solar Producers on Reducing Subsidies

The Spanish government and solar- power producers are moving toward an agreement aimed at reducing subsidies to the industry and reining in electricity prices without damaging the country’s renewable energy industry.

Spain to Investigate Solar Plants Over Subsidies, Government Official Says

Spain may force any solar plant owners who cheated on paperwork to gain higher subsidies to repay income earned through deception, a ministry official said.

California Clears Hurdle for Electric-Car Charging Stations to Sell Power

California regulators voted to make it easier for electric-car charging companies to sell power in the U.S. state that’s likely to be the biggest market for such vehicles.

Fight Gears Up on Biomass

There is evidently no form of energy, including renewable energy, that lacks opposition. A big spat right now centers on biomass power plants.

Bike may spark an electric revolution

Eqbal al Yousuf said his company planned to sell Phoenix’s first 150 electric pick-up trucks by the end of the year but mainly in the US where there were government cash incentives for buyers and American authorities were pushing for green vehicles to be used in the public sector.

Without the government support to reduce the cost and risk in the UAE, local consumers will be wary of spending the US$75,000 (Dh275,475) for such a pick-up, he said.

“Humans get scared of anything new. We get scared of the unknown,” Mr al Yousuf said. “And this technology here is unknown for a lot of people around the world. So without the government push, without the government support, even if it’s cost-effective, a lot of people will not go for it.”

Instead of four-wheel vehicles, Mr al Yousuf plans to sell Phoenix’s electric bicycles in the UAE as early as September, before they are rolled out in any other market. The first shipment will be for 500 bikes, he said. The $800 bicycles have a maximum speed of 26kph and a range of 31km on a full charge.

Government funding for electric cars cut by 80%

A government scheme to give motorists money off when purchasing electric cars has been cut by 80 per cent. Despite recent warnings from independent climate change groups that Britain must increase the amount of electric cars drastically if it wants to meet EU emission targets, the fate of low-carbon charging points hangs in the balance. Environmental groups, politicians and electric car-makers argue that cutting the incentive will reduce the amount of green jobs and harm the cars’ take up.

Energy Department tests energy-saving program

The Energy Department has picked Bethesda-based Marriott International Inc. to be one of the companies in a pilot program to help businesses, governments and other organizations reduce energy use in their buildings.

EPA rejects challenge to climate rules

The Environmental Protection Agency Thursday rejected an effort to keep it from regulating greenhouse gas emissions, saying that e-mails released in last fall’s “Climategate” scandal gave it no reason to reconsider the science of global warming.

In a sternly written opinion, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said she didn’t agree with requests from the GOP attorneys general from Texas and Virginia, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other conservative groups that questioned the underlying science linking humans to global warming and also warned of the potential economic burdens from new climate rules.

Cutting soot emissions best hope for saving Arctic ice

According to a new study led by Mark Z. Jacobson of Stanford University in the US, the quickest, best way to slow the rapid melting of Arctic sea ice is to reduce soot emissions from the burning of fossil fuel, wood and dung.

His analysis shows that soot is second only to CO2 in contributing to global warming.

Wahiawa-Whitmore Village Neighborhood Board Draft – Regular meeting minutes Monday, June 21, 2010 Wahiawa Recreation Center, Hale Koa Building Call to order: Chair Ben Acohido called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.; with a quorum of eight (8) members present. Note – this nine (9) member Board requires five (5) members to establish quorum and to take official Board action. Members Present – Ben Acohido, Cindy Bauer, Joeseph Francher, Jeanne Ishikawa, Silvia Koch, Mary Jane Lee, Robert Lormand, Hugh Lowery. Member Absent – Dean Harvest. Vacancies – None.  Guests – Major Ken Simmons, Lt. Benjamin Ballesteros, Jr., Sgt. Vivian (Honolulu Police Department); Capt. Scott Fukumae (Honolulu Fire Department)Dave Watkins (NCTAMS), Tommy Meza (U.S. Army), Mark Takemoto (Pioneer), Kevin Chang (Office of Hawaiian Affairs);Dawn Burgener, Kristen Killian and Randy Gillespie (Lanakila Pacific), Keapoi Namakaeha and Wilfredo “Willy” Pormento (Affordable Housing and Homeless Alliance), Patrick Lum (Vineyard Investments), Tammy Escorzon, William Hopper (Bethel Bible Church), Keanu Young (Office of Councilmember Donovan Dela Cruz), Thomas Young (Board of Water Supply), Mike Lyons (Chair, North Shore Neighborhood Board No. 27), , Mary Chanel-Benjamin (Neighborhood Commission Office staff). City monthly reports: Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) – Capt. Scott Fukumae reported the following information: Statistics for June 2010 – Included 1 structure, 1 wildland, 1 rubbish and 57 medical emergencies; no major or unusual incidents were reported. Fire Safety Tip – As summer approaches, the island will be at higher risk for fires due to dry vegetation and hot weather. Residents are encouraged to use caution when utilizing flame-producing devices and reminded that children under the age of 18 shall not possess fireworks, matches, and/or lighters, except under adult supervision. Questions, comments and concerns followed: 1) Relating to the Homeless – At least 95% of the homeless near the bridges have been relocated. 2) Statistics on Fireworks – Enforcement will begin on June 30, 2010 to curb illegal fireworks. Honolulu Police Department (HPD) – Lt. Benjamin Ballesteros, Jr. reported the following information: May 2010 Statistics – Included 16 burglaries, 20 unauthorized entry into motor vehicles, 33 thefts, 5 auto thefts with 8 recoveries, and 5 graffiti. Safety Tip – Citizen’s concerns and complaints are welcome anytime; however, it is best to report crime and concerns as they are occurring or being observed. Incidents may be anonymously reported; however, responding officers may enforce only ‘on-view’ violations. Violations or crimes may need complainants and witnesses to come forward to be investigated and enforced. New District HPD Officers – Introduced were Major Ken Simmons newly appointed to the Wahiawa District and Sgt. Vivian of the Community Policing Team. Questions, comments and concerns followed: 1) Seasonal Crime – Wahiawa was considered to have a low crime rate compared to other districts. There was the usual seasonal crime increase during summer and holidays. HPD usually will support those areas targeted by high crime known as ‘hot points or spots’. HPD are also busy during the months of May and June when graduation parties are held to curb the all night loud parties and drinking in residential areas. 2) Burglary Defense – HPD recommends allowing them to handle burglary events; however, if you are being overcome with force then in self defense one should forcefully defend one self against the burglar. The best defense is for the homeowner to get out of the home away from the burglar before a struggle. 3) Fireworks – HPD will cite and arrest those violating the law in public as well as parks. Board Vacant Seats – There are no vacant seats at this time. Mayor Mufi Hannemann – A report was read by Chair Acohido from the Mayor’s office: Our Lady of Sorrows Property – The City Department of Community Services have no objection if the community wishes to pursue use of the privately owned site as a homeless shelter; however, funding and security would be concerns of the property owners. Land use restriction would apply without any city role in these areas. Public Transportation at Whitmore Village – Currently, there is no budget to provide bus service; however the short range transit plan effort is reviewing bus service island-wide and certain to include Whitmore Village as part of this effort. Also, keeping in mind, the rail transit will liberate buses from the congested primary corridor to allow for more buses to be extended in areas such as Whitmore Village. Sidewalk Blocked – There were currently no obstructions on Kamehameha Highway sidewalk. Strobe Lights – According to a field check by the City Department of Transportation Services (DTS), blinking lights were never installed at Avocado/Walker Streets. Speed Bump Re-Stripping – A work order was issued for the work to be done at Walker and Avocado Streets. Wahiawa Transit Center (WTC) – There was a report that the WTC will not have public bathrooms. Questions, comments and concerns followed: 1) WTC – A private bathroom will not do the public any good if they can’t use it; the public was urged to continue asking the City to provide the WTC a public bathroom. 2) California Avenue – Depending on the weather, the project is slated to take about a year beginning in November 2010. The project entails a total resurfacing to include replacement of several layers of surface. Board of Water Supply (BWS) – Thomas Young reported the following information: - Drinking Water Standards – BWS works hard to ensure that the water served to residents meets or exceeds all federal and state safe drinking water standards and wants to reassure residents that the water served is safe to drink. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is the federal law that governs the quality of drinking water in the United States. Under the SDWA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets standards for drinking water quality and oversees state compliance with those standards. In Hawaii, the State Department of Health (DOH) is responsible for ensuring that all public and private drinking water suppliers comply with all laws for safe drinking water. The DOH and EPA is responsible to monitor and enforce these regulations. - BWS Water Tests – Every year BWS and DOH conducts thousands of tests on the water source and distribution systems to ensure that the water you receive is safe to drink. These tests check for more than 100 different types of contaminants, as required by the EPA. All final test results show the BWS is in full compliance with state and federal standards for safe drinking water. If the water quality tests conducted did not meet safe standards; BWS would be required by law to immediately notify impacted customers and more importantly, BWS would stop serving the water until it met all water regulations. Bottom line, our BWS water is safe to drink. - Water Treatment – BWS treats water in accordance with all federal and state drinking water regulations. Currently, the BWS treats drinking water with chlorine and in certain areas of Oahu the water is treated with granular activated carbon. - What is in the Water – Water quality test results are shared with customers in the annual water quality report or Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) as required by the EPA.  The report along with an accompanying water quality information pamphlet is mailed each year to BWS customers by July 1. The CCR identifies where your water comes from, what regulated contaminants were found, how those levels compare to the standards for safe drinking water, and describes any treatment processes used. Reports are also available on BWS’s website. - Water Conservation/Leaks – It has been a dry year; consider some conservation measures; Oahu is experiencing a continued seven year drought. Residents experiencing a spike in their water bills should check for water leaks. It is suggested to shut the water valve off first and if the dial is still spinning, this means there is a water leak to repair. The BWS repair line is 748-5000. - Lake Wilson – Kahe Point only has one fire hydrant and HFD uses Lake Wilson as a backup when needed to extinguish fires in the area. - Furlough Fridays – The BWS’s Beretania Street office will be closed only one Friday a month; however, BWS is working on a staggering office schedule to keep coverage 24/7 for service. You can reach BWS at 748-5041 or log onto to the web at www.boardofwatersupply.com. Questions, comments and concerns followed: Water Filter Use – BWS reports the water it provides is safe for drinking; however, residents can opt to use filters if they choose. Pipes within residents are the responsibility of the homeowners. BWS provides charcoal chlorination filtered water for the areas of North Shore to Kunia due to agriculture land and other areas chlorinated only. About 400 BWS pump stations are annually tested. Councilmember Donovan Dela Cruz – Keanu Young reported the following information: Emergency Sirens – In order to ensure public safety, Oahu’s warning system must be operational in all areas. There has been several Council committee meeting discussions addressing the issue of the government installation, repair, and updating of Civil Defense sirens. After introducing Resolution 10-59 addressing the need; 71 sirens will be upgraded and 53 additional installations are pending for Oahu’s total of 143 of the 267 sirens needed statewide. Capital Improvements Projects (CIP) – The City hopes to start construction this fall on a 4-foot high chain link fence and concrete mowing strip for the Mililani Mauka Community Park (MMCP). Usage is high at the park because there are only two City parks in the mauka area. In the 2009 fiscal year (FY) CIP, $250,000 was appropriated to design and construct the fence at MMCP. In FY 2011, the City appropriated $140,000 to construct playground equipment at MMCP as well as $690,000 to construct basketball and tennis courts. Bill 34 – Councilmember Gary Okino has introduced Bill 34 to consider an outright ban on fireworks.  The July 14, 2010 is when the City Council is due to vote on the bill. Roadways – The City Department of Facility Maintenance has completed filling much of the pot holes reported. City Council – The Council voted Lee Donohue, a 40-year veteran of HPD, to fill a vacant seat on the City Council left vacant by now Congressman Djou. Council Action – Filed was Bill 15, relating to the City Executive Operating Budget and Program for the FY 2010/11. Second Reading: Bill 16 relating to the Executive Budget and Programs for the FY 2010/11. Real Property Taxes (RPT): Resolution 10-60 lists all of the proposed rates for the various real property tax classifications. Mayor Hannemann’s budget proposed to raise non-homeowners class rates from $3.42 to $3.72 per every $1,000; these figures represent a starting point for discussion and the Council is searching for ways to reduce this increase. Questions, comments and concerns followed: 1) Bill 43 – What is Councilmember Dela Cruz’s opinion regarding this Bill; K. Young will consult with the Councilmember. 2) Bill 23 – The Bill relating to agriculture dwelling has been incorporated into Bill 24 by the City Department of Planning and Permitting Task Force; amending the Bill to propose limiting dwelling space on agriculture. A public hearing on this matter is pending. 3) Traffic Calming – Some cities on the U.S. mainland have installed a safety measure curbing speeding. This measure places a small dip in the roadway preventing vehicles from Armed forces: United States Army – Command Sergeant Major Meza reported the following information: New Commander – Colonel Mulbury has been named the lead commander at Wheeler Air Force Base on Oahu. Re-Deployments – The Second BCT will deploy in two weeks; redeployment service will be this Thursday beginning at 10:00 a.m., June 24 at Seal Field. The 130 Unit have returned from duty and will hold their service this Friday, June 25 at 10:00 a.m. at Hamilton Field. The public is invited to greet and support our troops as they return from overseas. A gesture well deserved. July 4 Celebrations – The Schofield gates will begin allowing families onto the base for festivities celebrating our nation’s birthday at 1:00 p.m.; fireworks begin at 8:30 p.m. Proper vehicle documents and a valid driver’s license will be required to enter the base. Security – Currently, security guards for entry gate duties are being hired and certified.  United States Navy – Chief Walker reported the following information: Operation Aloha – The aloha drive is at its half way mark with about 12,000 pounds of food, 300 pounds of clothing, and $2,000 already collected; its estimated a total of 20,000 pounds of food will be donated by the end of the drive. Questions, comments and concerns followed: Wahiawa Distribution – It was suggested to consider sharing distribution support with the Wahiawa homeless   community besides the Wahiawa community. Chief Walker will share this message with the committee. Residents’/community concerns: There were no current concerns. Approval of regular meeting minutes: The May 15, 2010 minutes were approved without objections. Reports: Treasurer Report – Vice-Chair Francher reported The Total Appropriated balance for the month of May 2010 was now $3,067.01. The Operating statement reflected $39.84 for postage and printing expenses leaving a sub balance of $951.01. The Publicity statement remained at $2,116 without expenses. And for the month of June 2010: The Total Appropriated balance was now $3,029.67. The Operating statement reflected $37.34 for postage and printing expenses leaving a sub balance of $913.67. The Publicity statement remained at $2,116 without expenses. Chair’s Report – Chair Acohido reported the following: Certificate of Appreciation for Mr. Fred Sol, Wahiawa District Complex – A request was pending to present F. Sol with an appreciation certificate for his services to the community. Wahiawa Bus Transit Center – The subject was discussed earlier during the meeting tonight. As noted, it’s reported the facility will not offer a public bathroom. Request Status Report of Wahiawa Wastewater Facility – A $26.5 million dollar bid was awarded to Oceanic Companies to begin improvements meeting EPA standards at the Wahiawa facility; it’s the oldest facility on Oahu. The work begins in September 2010 for the back system and in December for the front system.  This work does not entail any expansion; only upgrades to the existing footprint. Committees: Dam/Waterway – Hugh Lowery reported the following information: Lake Wilson – Dole and Howard Green have agreed to repair the Ford gate in order to control the water-flow at Lake Wilson. The spillway water repairs will cost over $1 million dollars. Rainwater overflow mixed with sewage is being dumped into the lake which the State Department of Health says it’s approved as R1; however, a report was still pending from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to share with the community. A continue effort with all agencies including the North Shore area was ongoing to provide necessary answers; and in the hope that someday, fish caught at the lake can be safe for human consumption. A meeting held by the EPA was not noticed to the Wahiawa community; therefore, a report on the flooding mitigation was not available. Community input was due to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by June 30, 2010 in order to receive this status report. A May 20, 2010 report in the local Wahiawa newspaper can be helpful as it covers the history on the waterways in the North Shore and Wahiawa districts. Questions, comments and concerns followed: 1) Lake Wilson – The upper area of the lake is currently under collaboration between the City and the Army. 2) R1 Water – It was not yet known if any of the water was going to be made available to Schofield Barracks. The Army was in consultation with contractors before it can accept any of the water; excess water will be provided to the farmers in the North Shore. Transportation – Joeseph Francher reported the following information: OMPO – A regional meeting is slated for August; public input is needed regarding the survey. State Department of Transportation – Repairs to bridges on Farrington Highway are underway including the Route 93 Bridge. DTS – The City is proposing to include the Waikiki Regional Plan to tie in with the Ala Moana Plan regarding the rail project. Input for this plan is due by Friday, June 25, 2010. Presentations: Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for Bethel Bible Church (BBC) – Elder William Hopper shared the following information: Location – BBC has been meeting at 1066 Kilani Avenue since 1978; a rental facility until the YMCA placed the facility up for sale in October 2004. God answers prayers sending Realtor Peter Savio which purchased the facility and the portion now occupied by the BBC was subdivided and sold to BBC. BBC continued to worship at this facility making necessary renovations preserving the buildings. Currently, there are no immediate occupying neighbors at this corner of Koa Street and Kilani Avenue. Fronting the building is the public park and tennis courts; at the Koa Street side, is a parking lot; at the other side is the unfinished Parkside at Wahiawa building project; and at the rear, is the Hawaiian Tel parking lot. The building is now up for sale in the unfinished condition it is in. LUC – DPP required BBC to appear before the Board presenting the community with this request for the issuance of the LUC. A short recess was called at 8:15 to 8:20 p.m. to review documents. Questions, comments and concerns followed: 1) Congregation – There were about 75 current members at BBC. 2) Updates – Contractors may offer some progress update on behalf of the church once work begins; this presentation concludes that BBC has followed DPP procedures to fulfill their permit request. Application for Zoning Change on Kilani Property – Patrick Low reported the following information: Location – Currently at the 1044 Kilani Avenue was a bakery in the apartment building zoned as B2; however, the change proposes a change to zone A2 to reflect paying the lower tax rate of $3.55 versus $12.40 which is the current rate for zone B2. Building – No additional building will be added, the current building has received a good facelift. Please reach property manager Patrick Low at 282-313 or email at patlow@vine2.com. Office of Hawaiian Affairs Traditional Cultural Property Study – Kevin Chang reported the following information: Study Meeting – The public was urged to attend the meeting slated for July 22, 2010 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at Hale O Kipa. This meeting will entail researching plantation history to preserve the value of the area both past and present. It was hopeful that many will spread the word regarding the meeting to residents with known name in the history of Wahiawa to attend and share their knowledge. Development – No development is proposed at any site considering for the study; culture locations and preserving landscape will be the focus to define those areas. Questions, comments and concerns followed: Healing Stone – The stone was a separate issue; however, it may be part of the study definition. Several Hawaiian groups were involved in the upkeep of the healing stone site before it was moved. The site was becoming somewhat of a safety issue due to many visitors driving through to visit the healing stone site. Further study was needed to actually determine the factual decedents based under international law. It was told the stone was first moved in 1920; and in 1940 it ended up at the Wahiawa gravesite that was considered now sacred. Many have testified to have felt healed after contact with the stone. It’s rumored the stone has been returned to its original birth place.  Board business: Wahiawa McDonalds Remodeling – Chair Acohido reported the following information: -Building – The Company has settled on keeping a country look with just one awing on one side of the building to facilitate rain drainage. This does comply with the Wahiawa Master Plan. -Tree – The Company also has promised to keep the 100 year old plant on its property. Regional Interest Regarding Homelessness – In Collaboration with North Shore Neighborhood Board No. 27: Chair Acohido reported the Board wishes to work with the North Shore Neighborhood Board on the homeless     issue affecting the districts. Announcements: Committee of the Whole Meeting – The next meeting tentatively scheduled for Monday, July 12, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. at Wahiawa Recreation Center. Regular Board Meeting – The next meeting is Monday, July 19, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at Wahiawa Recreation Center. Fresh Water Park – The Park can be an economic engine for the district within the next 50 years; the project hopefully can be confirmed this November 2010. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m. Submitted by Malia Chanel-Benjamin, Neighborhood Assistant Reviewed by Chair Ben Acohido

Otis Spunkmeyer is known as a pioneer in the fresh-baked cookie business, and a leader in the sweet baked goods industry. We offer frozen cookie dough, thaw and serve cookies and muffins, coffee cakes, pastries, brownies and more to customers in over 56 countries around the world. The Otis Spunkmeyer brand delivers happy moments and special memories to people everywhere.

Otis Spunkmeyer began in 1977 as a California chain of retail cookie stores. After six successful years we shifted focus to selling our fresh-baked cookie program, complete with pre-set ovens and merchandising tools, to foodservice operators on a wholesale basis. Today, more than 30 years later, Otis Spunkmeyer is the #1 frozen gourmet cookie dough in the Foodservice Industry. Our frozen cookie dough and premium baked goods are available in a wide range of market segments including foodservice, fundraising and retail grocery.

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* Hire, train, coach, motivate and manage a DSD operations team.
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Minimum of Four (4) years of management experience in DSD (Direct Sales Distribution) and
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Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and in outside weather conditions, and is occasionally exposed to traffic hazards, wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, and extreme cold.
While performing the duties of this position, the employee is subject to a warehouse and walk-in freezer environment where temperatures can vary from extreme cold to very warm.
The noise level in the work environment is often moderate to loud.

CADDO GAP, Ark. — Floodwaters that rose as swiftly as 8 feet an hour rushed into a remote Arkansas valley early Friday, killing at least 20 people, many of them campers who became trapped by a devastating wall of water. Dozens more were missing and feared dead.

Heavy rains caused the normally quiet Caddo and Little Missouri rivers to climb out of their banks during the night. Around dawn, floodwaters barreled through the Albert Pike Recreation Area, a 54-unit campground in the Ouachita National Forest that was packed with vacationing families who were probably still asleep when their tents began to fill with water.

The water poured through the valley with such force that it overturned RVs, peeled asphalt off roads, and swept away tents and their occupants.

Two dozen people were hospitalized. Authorities rescued 60 others.

Marc and Stacy McNeil of Marshall, Texas, survived by pulling their pickup truck between two trees and standing in the bed in waist-deep water.

"It was just like a boat tied to a tree," Marc McNeil said, describing how the truck bobbed up and down.

They were on their first night of camping with a group of seven, staying in tents. The rain kept falling, and the water kept rising throughout the night, at one point topping the tool box in the back of the truck.

"We huddled together, and prayed like we'd never prayed before." Stacy McNeil said.

They were able to walk to safety once the rain stopped.

After the water receded, anguished relatives pleaded with emergency workers for help finding more than 40 missing loved ones.

Gov. Mike Beebe said the death toll could rise. Forecasters warned of the approaching danger during the night, but campers could easily have missed those advisories because the area is isolated.

"There's not a lot of way to get warning to a place where there's virtually no communication," Beebe said. "Right now we're just trying to find anybody that is still capable of being rescued."

The governor said damage at the campground was comparable to that caused by a strong tornado. The force of the water carried one body 8 miles downstream.

While the governor spoke, rescuers in canoes and kayaks were on the Little Missouri looking for bodies and survivors who might still be stranded. Crews were initially delayed in their search because a rock slide blocked a road leading to the campsites.

"As that river goes down, you don't know how many people are under it," the governor said.

Authorities prepared for a long effort to find other corpses that may have been washed away.

"This is not a one- or two-day thing," said Gary Fox, a retired emergency medical technician who was helping identify the dead and compile lists of those who were unaccounted for.

"This is going to be a week or two- or three-week recovery."

The heavily wooded region offers a mix of campgrounds, hunting grounds and private homes. Wilderness buffs can stay at sites with modern facilities or hike and camp off the beaten path.

Cabins dotting the banks of the river were severely damaged. Boards hung lopsided from rooftops, and porches were missing rails. Some trees were flattened by the water, bent to the ground by the rushing water. Others had bare spots where the flood apparently wiped the bark clean from their trunks. Mobile homes lay on their sides.

Forest Service spokesman John Nichols said it would have been impossible to warn everyone that the flood was coming. The area has spotty cell phone service and no sirens.

"If there had been a way to know this type of event was occurring, it'd be closed period," Nichols said.

A trooper on duty noticed high water about 3 a.m. and notified the sheriff's department, which responded to the scene.

He said the water is usually low, allowing people to wade and fish in it during the summer, Nichols said.

Brigette Williams, spokeswoman for the American Red Cross in Little Rock, estimated that up to 300 people were in the area when the floods swept through.

"There's no way to know who was in there last night," state police spokesman Bill Sadler said. It would be difficult to signal for help because of the rugged and remote nature of the area being searched, some 75 miles west of Little Rock.

The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management sent satellite phones and specialized radio equipment to help in the rescue effort.

Campground visitors are required to sign a log as they take a site, but the registry was carried away by the floodwaters.

Wanda McRae Nooner, whose son and daughter-in-law have a home and a cabin along the river, said her son was helping rescuers.

"I know they've been bringing the bodies up there in front of their house until they can get ambulances in and out. It's just the most horrible thing. It's almost unbelievable."

The rough terrain likely kept some campers from reaching safety, according to Tabitha Clarke, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service office in North Little Rock.

Some parts of the valley are so steep and craggy that the only way out is to hike downstream. Any hikers who had taken cars to the campsites would have been blocked at low-water bridge crossings that are inundated when the rivers rise, she said.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning around 2 a.m. after the slow-moving storm dumped heavy rain on the area. At that point, a gauge at nearby Langley showed the Little Missouri River was less than 4 feet deep. But as the rain rolled down the steep hillsides, it built up volume and speed.

Even if people attempted to leave at the first sign of danger, water climbing higher and higher along the valley walls may already have inundated a number of low-water crossings, trapping them, Clarke said.

Authorities established a command post near the post office in Langley, along the Little Missouri. Helicopters landed behind a general store, and a triage unit was set up at a volunteer fire department.

Meliea Moore of Hot Springs waited at the store with her friend whose sister, brother-in-law and niece were among the missing. They had been staying in a cabin for the past week at the campground.

A center for relatives of the missing was set up at a church in Lodi offering dry clothes and food.

More on Extreme Weather

A thankfully helpful memo with a wealth of communications resources embedded that was forwarded to me by the White House Press Office. It shows the level of literal damage control going on, including an earnest attempt to get information out to those affected by the irresponsible, amoral folks at BP. It's the first memo of this kind I've noticed in my inbox; it's the kind of update that has been sorely needed since day one. One can only hope that the information coming from BP isn't massaged. More below the fold.

In a 1975 playoff game, the Dallas Cowboys were nearly out of time and facing elimination from the playoffs, down 14-10 against a very good Minnesota Vikings team. The Cowboys future Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach had no very good options. He later said he dropped back to pass, closed his eyes and, as a good Catholic, said a Hail Mary and threw the ball as far as he could. Wide receiver Drew Pearson had to come back for the ball and, in a very controversial play, managed to catch the ball on his hip and stumble into the end zone. Angry Vikings fans threw trash onto the field, and one threw a whiskey bottle that knocked a referee out. After that play, all last-minute desperation passes became known as Hail Mary passes. (That was a very thrilling game to watch!)

And that is what Europe did last weekend. They threw a Hail Mary pass in an attempt to avoid the loss of the eurozone. Jean-Claude Trichet blinked. Merkel capitulated. Today we consider what the consequences of this new European-styled TARP will be for Europe and the world. We do live in interesting times.

(At the end of the letter I note that I will be speaking at the Agora Financial conference in Vancouver July 19-23. This is a wonderful conference and a lot of my good friends are speaking. They have extended their early-bird registration for one week for my readers. Join me!)

Also, I am finalizing the details on the next two Conversations with John Mauldin. The first will be on China, where I have two experts who disagree with each other. It will be fun and most enlightening. The next one will be on energy and oil. They will both be out in June.

We get a lot of positive responses to this service. Herb wrote about the last Conversation, "Wow. What a great discussion. What smart guests, how little BS. Congratulations. It's the best of your Conversations that I've listened to."

And ACK wrote: "Wow!! Just the most important discussion I have been treated to as an investor and fund manager this year or last. Your product is dreadfully underpriced, as it delivers more value and education than almost any other subscription that I have... Thanks so much... This particular conversation was just mind-blowing!"

Actually, we get that last comment almost every issue, as we somehow seem to connect the dots for different listeners. When we started, I promised to do 6-8 a year, and we have already posted 6 timely Conversations in the first 4 months of this year, including my special Biotech Series as well as the Geopolitical Series with George Friedman.

For new readers, Conversations with John Mauldin is my one subscription service. While this letter will always be free, we have created a way for you to "listen in" on my conversations (or read the transcripts) with some of my friends, many of whom you will recognize and some whom you will want to know after you hear our conversations. Basically, I call one or two friends each month and, just as we do over dinner or at meetings, we talk about the issues of the day, back and forth, with give and take and friendly debate. I think you will find it enlightening and thought-provoking and a real contribution to your education as an investor.

I can get some rather interesting people to come to the table. Current subscribers can renew for a deeply discounted $129, and we will extend that price to new subscribers as well. To learn more, go to http://www.johnmauldin.com/newsletters2.html. Click on the Subscribe button, and join me and my friends for some very interesting Conversations. (I know the price says $199 on the site, but for now you will only be charged for $129 - I promise.)

And we are starting a renewal cycle with the subscriptions and have found a small bug in the software we purchased to handle them. Renewals are therefore not instantaneous. It may take a day, and for that we apologize. We are fixing it. And now on to Europe.

Europe Throws a Hail Mary Pass

On Thursday of last week Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the European Central Bank, said three times "Non! Non! Non!" when asked in a press conference if the ECB would consider buying Greek bonds. His exclamation was accompanied by a forceful lecture on the need for eurozone countries to get their fiscal houses in order, some of which I quoted in last week's letter. Trichet was remonstrating about the need for the ECB to remain independent, and was rather definite about it.

Then on Sunday he said, in effect, "Mais oui! Bring me your Greek bonds and we will buy them." What happened in just three days?

Basically, the leaders of Europe marched to the edge of the abyss, looked over, decided it was a long way down, and did an about-face. It was no small move, as they shoved almost $1 trillion onto the table in an "all-in" bet.

Bailing out Greece is very unpopular in Germany. So why did Chancellor Merkel agree to do so? This is the story that has come out in the last few days.

"French President Nicolas Sarkozy threatened to pull out of the euro unless German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed to back the European Union bailout plan at a summit last week in Brussels, El Pais newspaper said.

"According to El Pais, which didn't say how it obtained the information, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said (in a private meeting of his Socialist politicians) that Sarkozy demanded 'the commitment of everyone, that everyone should help Greece, everyone according to their means, or France would reconsider the situation of the euro.'

"Sarkozy banged his fist on the table and threatened to quit the euro, which forced Merkel to cave in, Zapatero told the Spanish politicians, according to the El Pais account.

" 'If at this point, given how it's falling, Europe isn't capable of making a united response, then there is no point to the euro,' the newspaper quoted the French President as saying.

"It wouldn't be the first time Sarkozy linked the fate of the euro to a willingness to support Greece. On March 7, before meeting Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou in Paris, Sarkozy said: 'If we created the euro, we cannot let a country in the eurozone fall. Otherwise there was no point in creating the euro. We must support Greece because they are making an effort." (Bloomberg)

I find this interesting when I compare it to the analysis from my friends at Stratfor:

"Germany now senses the opportunity to reform the eurozone so that similar crises do not happen again. For starters, this will likely mean entrenching the European Central Bank's ability to intervene in government debt as a long-term solution to Europe's mounting fiscal problems. It will also mean establishing German-designed European institutions capable of monitoring national budgets and punishing profligate spenders in the future. Whether these institutions will work in the long term - or fail as attempts to enforce Europe's rules on deficit levels and government debt have in the past - remains to be seen. But from Germany's perspective, they must."

Well, at least France and Germany are not looking at each other over the Maginot Line. But it is the age old-struggle: who will lead?

There are so many implications of this latest action, it is hard to know where to begin.

"What is the plan? First, European governments have committed €500bn (€440bn in loan guarantees to eurozone members in difficulties, and a €60bn increase in a balance of payments facility). Second, the International Monetary Fund will, it appears, put up an additional €250bn ($320bn, £215bn). Third, the European Central Bank has, to the chagrin of Axel Weber, president of the Bundesbank, decided to purchase the bonds of members under attack. Finally, the US Federal Reserve has reopened swap lines, to provide foreign banks with access to dollar funding. This is a panic-driven response to market panic. It reminds us of the autumn of 2008." (Martin Wolf, Financial Times)

Above all, this is a move to buy time. There is enough in this fund to purchase all the expected debt of Greece, Portugal, and Spain for three years. The money could actually last a lot longer, as Spain might not need to tap the fund for some time.

There were clearly some other quid pro quos that came out of this weekend. Both Spain and Portugal announced new austerity moves, which will help them get back below the 3% deficit limit mandated by the Maastricht Treaty within (they hope) a few years. It was the usual combination of tax increases, some budget cuts, and across-the-board pay cuts for government workers. These are very left-wing socialist governments, and their announcements were not popular with their followers or the unions. But they are enacting these cuts before a durable recovery has come about. They are committing themselves to a very rough road.

But it is not just the PIIGS countries that are out of compliance in Europe. Look at the following chart from Der Spiegel. Note that France has a budget deficit of over 8%. There are going to have to be austerity measures enacted all over Europe.

Notice that Ireland has the largest deficit, at 14.7%. This is in spite of (or more aptly because of) the enactment of severe austerity measures, far beyond what Greece, Portugal, and Spain have contemplated. And what has that gotten them? An economy that has shrunk by almost 17% in the last two years, 14% unemployment, and a country in the grip of outright deflation. Property prices have fallen by 34% and are still falling. Their banks are in shambles.

And their debt-to-GDP is rising, because even as they borrow their GDP is falling. It is hard to cut that ratio when GDP is falling. If GDP falls 20%, then the debt-to-GDP ratio rises by 25%. And that means your interest-rate costs are an ever bigger chunk of your tax revenues.

Let's be clear. These austerity measures are not growth plans. They are not designed to help countries grow their way out of the problem. There is no reason to think that if Greece enacts the measures that have been proposed, that what happened to Ireland will not happen to them. It almost certainly will. Credible estimates I have seen suggest that the Club Med countries will see their GDP drop at least 4% this year.

It is not just the PIIGS. All of Europe will be making cuts. And in the short term that is going to be a drag on growth and a headwind for the euro.

It's More Than Just Government Debt

A recent study by Portuguese economist Ricardo Cabral shows that the PIIGS have even deeper problems. With the exception of Italy, they have a large percentage of their debt owned by foreigners. ( http://voxeu.org/index.php?q=node/5008)

"Greece, for example, has approximately 79% of government gross debt held by non-residents and has a net international investment position of -82.2% of GDP. Interest payments on public debt represented nearly 40% of Greece's already large 2009 budget deficit - and this is set to increase."

These interest payments leave the country, making their already bad trade imbalances even worse. And the taxes that might be paid on the interest go to other countries, too.

Cabral looks at the average external debt during 16 debt crises over the past 30 years. On average, Greece, Spain, and Portugal are now 30% worse off than these other countries when they went into crisis and restructured debt.

Cabral notes (as I have done in past letters) that there are no good choices. Continuing to increase debt owed to foreign creditors just digs a deeper hole that they must dig out of. His conclusion is that some sort of debt restructuring will ultimately be required.

Martin Wolf writes this week of the problems facing the eurozone:

"... the story of the eurozone economy has, in consequence, been one of divergence, not convergence. The rough external balance masked the emergence of countries with huge current account surpluses and corresponding exports of capital, notably Germany, and of others with the opposite condition, notably Spain. In countries with weak domestic demand and low inflation, real interest rates were high; in countries with strong demand and higher inflation, the reverse was true. The result is not just huge fiscal deficits, now that private-sector spending has collapsed, but a need to regain lost competitiveness. But, inside the eurozone, this is possible only with falling wages, higher productivity growth than in Germany (and so soaring unemployment), or both."

Take a look at the charts below from his Financial Times column. The PIIGS have much higher labor costs per unit of production than Germany, as much as 50% higher! Germany runs large trade surpluses while the Club Med countries have large trade deficits.

A country may want to reduce its government debt, its businesses and individuals may want to reduce their debt, and they might like to run a trade deficit. However, the rules of accounting are such that you can only do two of the three.

The reality is that the coming austerity measures are going to reduce the ability of the PIIGS to buy products from outside their countries. Germany's surplus will thereby suffer.

Let's look at yet another set of graphs from Der Spiegel to get a handle on the problem facing these countries. Their unemployment is already high and is going to get worse. They are not enacting pro-growth policies. Spain, for instance, has a rule that a company must pay a one-month severance fee for each year an employee has worked. Thus, if you have worked for ten years, you get a ten-month severance allowance if you are laid off. What that does is discourage new employment, and it means that newer workers are laid off first. That is one of the reason Spain has such a high unemployment rate among young people.

 

The Grand Misallocation

What this Euro-TARP does is take money from mostly good credit and give it to weak credit. It will crowd out private savings that go into private enterprise (which is where jobs come from) and put it to unproductive uses in the government debt of weak countries.

There are only two ways to grow an economy: you can grow your population or you can increase productivity. That's it. The Club Med countries are not growing their populations appreciably, as their birth rates are low. And you increase productivity by investing private capital into businesses, the way the Germans have done, which is why their labor unit costs are so low compared to their competition.

Euro-TARP almost mandates that capital be misallocated into non-productivity-enhancing government programs and debt.

Europe is run by Keynesians (as is the US). They see everything as a liquidity problem. And sometimes it is. But the PIIGS have a debt problem. And you don't cure a debt problem with more debt unless you have a clear path to grow your way out of the debt. But as I have demonstrated, there is no clear path to growth with the current policies. They will produce deflationary recessions, lower government tax receipts from reduced GDP, and higher unemployment.

At the end of the day, Greece will just have more debt. Perhaps Spain and Portugal can work through their problems, but that will be very difficult and will involve considerable economic pain. Italy can succeed if it decides to.

This new program simply buys time to try and figure things out. It is Germany saying, "Ok, I give you 3-4 years. But don't come back asking for more."

All this does is bridge to the middle of the decade, when the truly massive health and pension promises made all over Europe must be dealt with. The US has the option of raising taxes, reducing benefits, and means testing, should we so choose to do so to meet the demands of entitlement problems. Europe already has tax rates that are high and growth-inhibiting. The entitlement problems in many countries are more onerous, and their working populations are not growing.

This is just the beginning of their woes. They have a long way to go and a short time to get there. Can it be done? Yes, of course. But it is going to require a great deal of change. I hope they pull it off, I really do. I have been to most of Europe and love every bit I have seen. The world is better off with a united Europe.

That being said, I have my doubts that the European Union in its current form will exist in 5-7 years. I hope I am wrong.

One implication. The euro is on its way to parity with the dollar. So is the pound. That is going to help their exports vis-à-vis the US. Watch the yen fall rather sharply over the next few years. Senators Schumer and Graham gripe about China. What are they going to say about Europe, Britain, and Japan, all of which are on course to premeditated devaluation? This is going to be just one more challenge for businesses in countries with the world's stronger currencies.

Another side bet? The ECB says it will sterilize those government bonds it buys (meaning, it will make sure it does not add to the money supply). My bet is that when deflation starts to run throughout Europe, the ECB will decide that maybe not so much sterilization is required after all.

New York, LA, and Italy

As I noted above, I have cleared my schedule to be at the Agora Financial Conference in Vancouver, July 19-23. They have a truly great line-up of speakers. I suggest you go to http://agorafinancial.com/vancouver2010/ and look at the program and then go ahead and register.

This week, I had to lay over in Montreal due to bad weather in Chicago, which meant I had to get up at 2:45 am to make a flight to get me back to Dallas in time for a speech. Ugh. I am fairly used to travel, but I make a point not to push it. My body just needs my 8 hours' sleep, and sadly I can't sleep on planes, unlike Dennis Gartman, who can sleep anywhere. It really kicked my butt.

On Monday I fly to New York for a day, then two nights in Stamford, Connecticut, speaking to Pitney Bowes execs. I am looking forward to Monday night, when I get to have dinner with Art Cashin, Greg Weldon, and Cliff Draughn (coming up from Savannah) - we'll hash over the problems of the world.

Then it's a quick trip to LA the following week, to meet with a team of people who are helping us redesign our websites and services to you, gentle reader. We are in for a major upgrade and I think you are really going to like it.

And then home, where I will stay until June 3, when the whole family (seven kids and spouses, grand-babies) takes a two-week vacation to Italy. I am going to stay over and speak at the Global Interdependence Center Conference in Paris, June 17th and 18th, with my good friend (and euro-bull) David Kotok and other luminaries. There will be a lot of central banker types, and if you want to get a feel for what's happening in Europe you should come. Information is at www.interdependence.org.

We have been planning (or Tiffani has) for the Italy trip. I really can't wait, as it's going to be a ton of fun. Thanks for all the suggestions as to where to go and what to see and where to eat! It has been over 25 years since I was in Italy, and that was just a few days in Rome and Venice. This time it's two full weeks, with a week in Rome and Venice and then a week in Tuscany, then to Paris, and then back to Tuscany and Milan. And since we decided to go, the euro has fallen 25%. That helps a lot! I used miles to take everyone, but hotels are a real expense. Every little bit helps.

It is once again late and time to hit the send button. Enjoy your week.

Your still recovering from an early morning analyst,

John Mauldin
John@FrontLineThoughts.com

Copyright 2010 John Mauldin. All Rights Reserved

John Mauldin, Best-Selling author and recognized financial expert, is also editor of the free Thoughts From the Frontline that goes to over 1 million readers each week. For more information on John or his FREE weekly economic letter go to: http://www.frontlinethoughts.com/learnmore

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Regular HOLDS are important in Shuttle countdowns, allowing planned "pauses" for tasks and procedures as NASA teams attempt to pinpoint precise launch windows. Holds of varying lengths always occur at T-MINUS 27, T-19, T-11, T-6, and T-3 hours, as well as T-20 and T-9 minutes.

While every situation can be highly variable, and scrubbed at any point with a NO GO, these are the general milestones in each Space Shuttle countdown…

T-43 Hours and COUNTING
The clocks is activated when the Shuttle Test Director (STD position currently held by Jerry Spaulding) makes the first Call to Stations. Tasks include:
- Final vehicle and facility close-outs for launch
- Review flight software stored in memory units and display systems
- Load backup flight system software into orbiter computers
- Remove middeck and flight deck platforms
- Activate and test navigational systems
- Complete preparation to load power reactant storage and distribution system

T-27 Hours and HOLDING
The first built-in hold typically lasts 4 hours, whereupon the launch pad is cleared of all non-essential personnel and the rotating service structure around the Shuttle is slowly rolled back. Ground crews then load cryogenic propellants.

T-27 Hours and COUNTING
- Propellants go from power reactant storage & distribution (PRSD) system to fuel cell storage tanks.

T-19 Hours and HOLDING
Another four hour hold, where the STS mid-body is de-mated from the umbilical unit, and an external tank nose cone purge is carried out. They also vacuum the crew module. That’s right… house-cleaning!

T-19 Hours and COUNTING
- Begin preparations of the three main engines for main propellant tanking and flight
- Fill-up of launch pad sound suppression system water tank
- Closing out of tail service masts on the mobile launcher platform

T-11 Hours and HOLDING
The third hold can be up to 14 hours long, and includes engineering briefings, weather review, a launch pad inspection and the activation of the orbiter’s communications systems.

T-11 Hours and COUNTING
- Activation of the orbiter’s fuel cells
- “Blast Danger Area” is cleared of all non-essential personnel
- Orbiter is purged of air and filled with nitrogen mix

T-6 Hours and HOLDING
This hold typically lasts two hours, whereby the Mission Management Team (MMT) reviews the weather and the launch team must verify that all launch commit criteria has been met. If they have, the external tank is loaded with 500,000 gallons propellant and the launch pad is then cleared of ALL personnel.

T-6 Hours and COUNTING
- External tank filled with flight load of liquid hydrogen and oxygen.

T-3 Hours and HOLDING
Another two hour hold where the Final Inspection Team conducts analysis of the orbiter and launch tower, and if all is well, another weather review ensues. The Closeout Crew configures the crew module and the Astronaut Support Person also enters to perform communications checks.

T-3 Hours and COUNTING
- Upon arrival at the launch pad, astronauts enter via the “White Room”
- Air-to-ground voice checks with Launch Control (Kennedy Space Center, Florida)
- Air-to-ground voice checks with Mission Control (Johnson Space Center, Texas)
- Hatch is closed and checked for leaks, then Closeout Crew departs

T-20 Minutes and HOLDING
This built-in hold usually lasts a mere 10 minutes, in which the NASA Test Director conducts final launch team briefings.

T-20 Minutes and COUNTING
- Transition of the orbiter's onboard computers to launch configuration
- Fuel cell thermal conditioning
- Closing of orbiter cabin vent valves
- Transition of backup flight system to launch configuration

T-9 Minutes and HOLDING
This is the final built-in hold, and varies in length depending on the mission. The ground crews determine the parameters of the final launch window, and activate the flight recorders. The NASA Test Director, Mission Management Team and launch director conduct final GO vs. NO-GO launch polls.

T-9 Minutes and COUNTING
- Automatic ground launch sequencer starts.

T-7 minutes, 30 seconds: Retraction of orbiter access arm
T-5 minutes: Auxiliary power units start
T-3 minutes, 55 seconds: Aerosurface and engine gimbal profile tests
T-2 minutes, 55 seconds: Retraction of beanie cap (i.e. gaseous oxygen vent arm)
T-2 minutes: Crew members close and lock their helmet visors

T-50 seconds: Orbiter transfers from ground to internal power
T-31 seconds: Ground launch sequencer starts
T-16 seconds: Launch pad sound suppression system activated
T-10 seconds: Main engine hydrogen burnoff system activated
T-6.6 seconds: Main engine starts

T-0
Solid rocket booster ignition and liftoff!

Godspeed, Atlantis...

With the predicted return of spring temperatures and snow rapidly diminishing, U.S. Forest Service campgrounds, beaches and other day-use areas in the Lake Tahoe basin are expected to start opening this weekend.

Friday is the planned opening day for Fallen Leaf, Bayview, Kaspian, Meeks Bay and William Kent campgrounds, as well as for Nevada and Baldwin beaches.

Pope Beach is expected to open May 28, while Taylor Creek Visitor Center and Tallac Historic Site traditionally open around Memorial Day weekend.

National Forest System roads will begin opening around mid-May, weather permitting, with most expected to be open by mid-June, said Lisa Herron, a public affairs specialist with the Forest Service's Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

For more information, call the forest supervisor's office at (530) 543-2694.

With the predicted return of spring temperatures and snow rapidly diminishing, U.S. Forest Service campgrounds, beaches and other day-use areas in the Lake Tahoe basin are expected to start opening this weekend.

Friday is the planned opening day for Fallen Leaf, Bayview, Kaspian, Meeks Bay and William Kent campgrounds, as well as for Nevada and Baldwin beaches.

Pope Beach is expected to open May 28, while Taylor Creek Visitor Center and Tallac Historic Site traditionally open around Memorial Day weekend.

National Forest System roads will begin opening around mid-May, weather permitting, with most expected to be open by mid-June, said Lisa Herron, a public affairs specialist with the Forest Service's Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

For more information, call the forest supervisor's office at (530) 543-2694.

– Barbara Barte Osborn

With the arrival of spring temperatures and snow quickly diminishing, the U.S. Forest Service, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will begin the annual process of opening recreational facilities around the Lake Tahoe Basin. Many facilities, including campgrounds and day use areas will formally open in mid-May, weather permitting. The Taylor Creek Visitor Center and Tallac Historic Site traditionally open around Memorial Day weekend.

This is the 12th post in a weekly series of Online American Digital Archives and Databases found for free at state, county, municipal, college and university history, library, and archive websites, as well as public and private library and museum sites, and historical and genealogical society sites.


Hawai`i State Archives Digital Collections - http://archives1.dags.hawaii.gov/gsdl/cgi-bin/library - Genealogical Indexes (marriages, divorces, probates, wills, and citizenship records, 1826-1929); Government Office Holders; Judiciary Records during the Hawaiian Kingdom; Land Index; Mahele Book (record of division of land between Kamehameha III, the chiefs and konohiki); Name Index, 1790-1950 (indexes to Foreign Office and Executive, Interior Department and Privacy Council records, books, newspapers, 1836-1950, and manuscripts); Passenger Manifests (to and from Hawai`i, 1843-1900); Tax Ledgers (1847-1900); Vital Statistics Collection (reports of births, marriages, and deaths, 1826-1929); and World War I Service Records (of Hawai`i residents)

Hawai`i State Public Library Newspaper Index - http://ipac2.librarieshawaii.org:81/#focus

Ulukau: The Hawaiian Electronic Library - http://ulukau.org/index.php?a=p&p=browse&wp=&cl=2.3.1&l=en - materials written in Hawaiian as well as books about Hawai`i written in English; these texts include both fiction and non-fiction. Atlases and gazetteers, interviews, city directories, dictionaries and grammars of the Hawaiian language, histories, geographies, Hawaiian arts and legends are featured here

Hawaiian Historical Society - http://www.hawaiianhistory.org/ - not a lot of online data, but does include Hawai`i History Moments (short essays); list of Hawai`i Political Leaders (monarchs, territorial and state governors, congressional representatives, and county mayors); and Significant Dates in the History of Hawai`i

Historic Hawaii Foundation - http://www.historichawaii.org - list of historic sites


Brigham Young University (Hawai`i) Joseph F. Smith Library Archives and Special Collections - http://library.byuh.edu/library/archives - Pacific Studies, campus photographs, interviews, Seabee images from Aamoa, Vanuatu, and Aotearoa/New Zealand during WWII; images of the Polynesian Cultural Center; images of the Laie Plantation; 1909-1911 images of Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island; oral histories

Kapi'olani Community College Asia-Pacific Digital Library - http://apdl.kcc.hawaii.edu/ - ethnobotany, weather patterns, stories of Hawai`i-born Nisei veterans of WWII, cross-strait directory, historic traditional stories

University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Library - http://library.manoa.hawaii.edu/research/digicoll.html - scrapbooks; documents recording the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom and annexation of Hawai`i; Chaplain Hiro Higuchi Correspondence (one of two chaplains attached to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, an all-Japanese American unit formed in January 1943); Dakin Fire Insurance Maps (1891, 1899, 1906); Mānoa campus history; congressional papers, War Records Depository, U.S. Army Signal Corps photos; Hawaian Language newspapers; Hawaiian and Asian art; maps; slides; Russian Passport Album (passport applications for 165 people who wished to leave Hawai`i and return to Russia); videos, and much, much more!

University of Hawaii (West Oahu) Center for Labor Education and Research Digitization Project - http://www.hawaii.edu/uhwo/clear/HonoluluRecord/index/hrindex.html - digitized images of the Honolulu Record from July 1, 1948 through July 3, 1958


Bishop Museum - http://www.bishopmuseum.org/research/onlinedata.html - contains a wealth of Hawaiiana online, as well as the Hawaiian Language Newspaper index, maps, and other online collections

Friends of Molu`ula - http://www.mokuula.com/archive/archive.php - videos, photos, music

Hawaii Digital Library - http://www.hidili.com/ - created by the Hagadone Printing Company to showcase magazines and other publications about Hawai`i, which can be viewed and downloaded

Honolulu County Genealogical Society - http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hihcgs/ - includes links to online records

Kamehameha Schools Archives - http://kapalama.ksbe.edu/archives/ - timelines, history, photos, manuscripts of Hawaii and of this preparatory school

Kaua`i Historical Society - http://www.kauaihistoricalsociety.org/ - history, photos of historic sites

Maui Historical Society - http://www.mauimuseum.org/ - paintings, stories, properties registered with the State and National Registers of Historic Places

Pacific Tsunami Museum - http://www.tsunami.org/archives.html - photos, stories, essays, and maps


Check out my Hawai`i Online Historical Directories and my Hawai`i Online Historical Newspapers pages.

The weather broke enough this morning to allow search-and-rescue crews to attempt to reach a climber who has been near the top of 14,162-foot Mount Shasta since Sunday.

A window in the weather in Siskiyou County will allow an attempt by search-and-rescue teams to bring a climber down from snowy Mount Shasta.

An incident command center has been established at an airport north of the city of Weed, along Interstate 5.

Helicopters from CalFire, the California Highway Patrol and the California National Guard will search for Thomas Bennett, 26, of Oakland.

The helicopters will be aided by the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue unit, sheriff's deputies and Forest Service rangers.

Earlier, forecasters said weather on the mountain was expected to be minus-17 degrees with winds from 10 to 20 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph near the summit of the 14,179-foot mountain.

Mark Thomas, one of the two 26-year-old climbers stranded on Mount Shasta by an early spring storm, descend the mountain and was found alive Monday.

He told rescuers that Bennett, who could not make it down the mountain, fell ill and was unresponsive when Thomas departed. The pair had been on the mountain since Saturday, enduring tough conditions that set in.

Thomas responded to concerned friends on his Facebook page: "I'm down safe and well," he wrote.

Thomas said that he disagreed with details of news reports of the ordeal. However, he did not provide anymore description of what was wrong with accounts that have appeared in the media.

He also said he was touched by the outpouring of support.

The weather broke enough this morning to allow search-and-rescue crews to attempt to reach a climber who has been near the top of 14,162-foot Mount Shasta since Sunday.

A window in the weather in Siskiyou County will allow an attempt by search-and-rescue teams to bring a climber down from snowy Mount Shasta.

An incident command center has been established at an airport north of the city of Weed, along Interstate 5.

Helicopters from CalFire, the California Highway Patrol and the California National Guard will search for Thomas Bennett, 26, of Oakland.

The helicopters will be aided by the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue unit, sheriff's deputies and Forest Service rangers.

Earlier, forecasters said weather on the mountain was expected to be minus-17 degrees with winds from 10 to 20 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph near the summit of the 14,179-foot mountain.

Mark Thomas, one of the two 26-year-old climbers stranded on Mount Shasta by an early spring storm, descend the mountain and was found alive Monday.

He told rescuers that Bennett, who could not make it down the mountain, fell ill and was unresponsive when Thomas departed. The pair had been on the mountain since Saturday, enduring tough conditions that set in.

Thomas responded to concerned friends on his Facebook page: "I'm down safe and well," he wrote.

Thomas said that he disagreed with details of news reports of the ordeal. However, he did not provide anymore description of what was wrong with accounts that have appeared in the media.

He also said he was touched by the outpouring of support.

The weather broke enough this morning to allow search-and-rescue crews to attempt to reach a climber who has been near the top of 14,162-foot Mount Shasta since Sunday.

A window in the weather in Siskiyou County will allow an attempt by search-and-rescue teams to bring a climber down from snowy Mount Shasta.

An incident command center has been established at an airport north of the city of Weed, along Interstate 5.

Helicopters from CalFire, the California Highway Patrol and the California National Guard will search for Thomas Bennett, 26, of Oakland.

The helicopters will be aided by the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue unit, sheriff's deputies and Forest Service rangers.

Earlier, forecasters said weather on the mountain was expected to be minus-17 degrees with winds from 10 to 20 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph near the summit of the 14,179-foot mountain.

Mark Thomas, one of the two 26-year-old climbers stranded on Mount Shasta by an early spring storm, descend the mountain and was found alive Monday.

He told rescuers that Bennett, who could not make it down the mountain, fell ill and was unresponsive when Thomas departed. The pair had been on the mountain since Saturday, enduring tough conditions that set in.

Thomas responded to concerned friends on his Facebook page: "I'm down safe and well," he wrote.

Thomas said that he disagreed with details of news reports of the ordeal. However, he did not provide anymore description of what was wrong with accounts that have appeared in the media.

He also said he was touched by the outpouring of support.

The weather broke enough this morning to allow search-and-rescue crews to attempt to reach a climber who has been near the top of 14,162-foot Mount Shasta since Sunday.

A window in the weather in Siskiyou County will allow an attempt by search-and-rescue teams to bring a climber down from snowy Mount Shasta.

An incident command center has been established at an airport north of the city of Weed, along Interstate 5.

Helicopters from CalFire, the California Highway Patrol and the California National Guard will search for Thomas Bennett, 26, of Oakland.

The helicopters will be aided by the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue unit, sheriff's deputies and Forest Service rangers.

Earlier, forecasters said weather on the mountain was expected to be minus-17 degrees with winds from 10 to 20 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph near the summit of the 14,179-foot mountain.

Mark Thomas, one of the two 26-year-old climbers stranded on Mount Shasta by an early spring storm, descend the mountain and was found alive Monday.

He told rescuers that Bennett, who could not make it down the mountain, fell ill and was unresponsive when Thomas departed. The pair had been on the mountain since Saturday, enduring tough conditions that set in.

Thomas responded to concerned friends on his Facebook page: "I'm down safe and well," he wrote.

Thomas said that he disagreed with details of news reports of the ordeal. However, he did not provide anymore description of what was wrong with accounts that have appeared in the media.

He also said he was touched by the outpouring of support.

The weather broke enough this morning to allow search-and-rescue crews to attempt to reach a climber who has been near the top of 14,162-foot Mount Shasta since Sunday.

A window in the weather in Siskiyou County will allow an attempt by search-and-rescue teams to bring a climber down from snowy Mount Shasta.

An incident command center has been established at an airport north of the city of Weed, along Interstate 5.

Helicopters from CalFire, the California Highway Patrol and the California National Guard will search for Thomas Bennett, 26, of Oakland.

The helicopters will be aided by the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue unit, sheriff's deputies and Forest Service rangers.

Earlier, forecasters said weather on the mountain was expected to be minus-17 degrees with winds from 10 to 20 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph near the summit of the 14,179-foot mountain.

Mark Thomas, one of the two 26-year-old climbers stranded on Mount Shasta by an early spring storm, descend the mountain and was found alive Monday.

He told rescuers that Bennett, who could not make it down the mountain, fell ill and was unresponsive when Thomas departed. The pair had been on the mountain since Saturday, enduring tough conditions that set in.

Thomas responded to concerned friends on his Facebook page: "I'm down safe and well," he wrote.

Thomas said that he disagreed with details of news reports of the ordeal. However, he did not provide anymore description of what was wrong with accounts that have appeared in the media.

He also said he was touched by the outpouring of support.

Senior Mobile Software Engineer

TripIt is one of the hottest startups in the Bay Area. Our award-winning travel service is at the epicenter of converging web, mobile and social technologies. We’re growing quickly and recently closed on a third-round of $7M funding. Our web and mobile service is praised by travelers and industry notables, including TechCrunch, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and by thousands of bloggers worldwide. We’ve been called “absolutely awesome”, “addictive” and “a seriously powerful travel tool.” Just search Google or Twitter for TripIt and see for yourself. Strategically, we’re an open travel platform with an API that enables the free flow of travel information. We’ve already attracted top partners like BCD Travel, LinkedIn, Google, Hotwire, Lotus, Plaxo and hundreds of developers who use our API including several of the top travel apps for the iPhone.

From a personal perspective, we’re located in spacious new offices in the sunny Mission District in San Francisco, close to BART and several MUNI lines. Our refrigerator is stocked with drinks and we’ve got a great courtyard for BBQs too. We’re a hard-working team of 30 people and growing. We value creativity, collaborative thinking, new ideas and open communication. Our co-founders are second generation start-up leaders who have learned from experience not only how to play the game, but how to win it.

About You
You need to be an experienced, creative professional who is driven by the challenge of solving unique, difficult problems in a compressed timeframe. You never lose sight of the requirements of the business or our traveler experience. You want to play a crucial role in the creation of a travel service that will eventually be used by everyone who travels.

Description
Want to create an application like no other? Our team of highly experienced and super creative engineers has built an application unlike any that have come before it in the online travel space. It is now time for TripIt to take it to the next level, and to do that, we need you. You are the type of engineer that is driven by the challenge of solving unique, difficult technical problems in a compressed timeframe while keeping in mind both the requirements of the business and the user experience.

Responsibilities
This position will have you working on TripIt's mobile applications, initially focusing on the iPhone, Blackberry, and Google Android platforms. You must be passionate about developing new technologies and solving difficult technical problems. You should have a good sense of product design, have solid development habits (e.g., unit testing, technical design documentation, etc.), have good experience with backend web technologies. You should be comfortable leading a team of developers and mentoring others. Most importantly, you should not be afraid to dive into new and unfamiliar technologies. Programming experience with iPhones, Blackberries, or J2ME is a strong plus, but it is not required.

Required Skills / Experience

• At least 7 years of prior software development experience at least 3 of which as a mobile applications developer
• Strong understanding of web and web-related technologies
• Strong experience with object-oriented programming in Java, Python, Ruby, or Objective-C
• Familiarity with XML and XML Schema
• Solid development habits and practices
• Natural problem-solver and troubleshooter
• Comfortable working in a GNU Linux/Unix environment
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal)
• Prior team leadership experience a plus

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What if I told you that just minutes from downtown Los Angeles, situated between USC and the LA Memorial Coliseum in historic Exposition Park, there exists a kelp forest, which is home to more than 1,500 fish and other marine animals?

Would you believe it?

Well, you should, because this "Rainforest of the Sea" is just one part of a brand new permanent exhibition wing at the California Science Center.

The California Science Center will unveil the new "Ecosystems" exhibit, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony this Thursday. The major expansion adds 45,000 square feet to the Center - nearly doubling the amount of exhibition space - and features more than 250 species of living plants and animals and hands-on science exhibits in 11 immersive environments - unique among science centers in the United States.

The California Science Center "aspire[s] to stimulate curiosity and inspire[s] science learning in everyone by creating fun, memorable experiences, because we value science as an indispensable tool for understanding our world, accessibility and inclusiveness, and enriching people's lives." From walking through a living kelp forest to experimenting on a polar ice wall, both children and adults will be awed and inspired while learning about some of the Earth's most fascinating ecosystems.

Here are some of the highlights from our recent visit:

Why do we let some animals into our home, but then try to keep other animals out? In the kitchen, a mouse is a pest and we call the exterminator. But in the bedroom, the mouse is a member of the family, complete with running wheel, toys, and food.

The Family Discovery Room helps the youngest visitors learn about the family home as an ecosystem. Visual and interactive exhibits showcase worms in a backyard garden compost pile and mice munching on crumbs in the kitchen.

Walk through a 24-foot long transparent acrylic tunnel and see the life that exists in our coastal Kelp Forests. “Rain Forests of the Sea,” the 188,000 gallon kelp habitat illustrates the incredible diversity existing in our sea forests. The exhibit demonstrates how kelp forests depend on four basic factors: a rocky substrate, sunlight, moving water and high nutrient levels. Horn sharks, swell sharks, giant sea bass, wolf eels, bat rays, and garibaldi (California's state fish) will be among the more than 1,500 fish seen in this habitat.

Visitors can learn about life in the most extreme ecosystems on Earth. See how live animals like tortoises, scorpions, and lizards are able to survive in the extreme heat of the desert.

Near the oceans' Deep Sea Vents, ambient temperatures can be up to 760 degrees Fahrenheit and sunlight is non-existent. Visitors will learn how organisms have adapted to this harsh climate by using the Earth’s own internal heat to replace sunlight, and other adaptations. Real preserved specimens collected from around real vents, including shrimp, tubeworms and crabs, are on display.

Life at the Poles can be tough, unless you're prepared to deal with the extreme cold. On a large cold ice wall, visitors get to try out different mittens simulating how animal fur and feathers provide insulation to keep warm.

The surface of the Kelp Forest in the place where ecosystems collide at the Rocky Shore. Here, at a touch tank with sea stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, snails and more, visitors can learn first-hand about how different organisms have adapted to this extreme environment.

At the Rocky Shore, visitors can also learn about waves and tides by watching the artificial wave machine, and can experience life as a barnacle in a game that demonstrates how hard it must be to find something to eat in the violent waters of the intertidal zone.

These represent only a tiny fraction of the things to see and do in Ecosystems. But one other exhibit is worth mentioning: the L.A. Zone.

Interactive exhibits invite guests to explore how cities function as ecosystems, but with unique challenges in the issues of energy, water, waste and wildlife. Use a multi-touch map (a table-sized iPhone!) to pan around the Los Angeles Basin and learn about weather patterns, wind currents, and the geologic make-up of Southern California. Find your house and other landmarks on a gigantic floor map spanning the gallery. Sit on a bicycle and see how much more energy it takes to light up a grid of standard incandescent lightbulbs than a grid of energy-efficient CFL bulbs (hint: it's like going to the gym!)

Ready to go check out Ecosystems?
Admission to Ecosystems exhibits is free; however, to provide a quality guest experience, entry will be regulated with a timed ticket which can be acquired online, by phone or in person at the Box Office. A service or convenience fee will apply. There will also be a “standby” line for those who do not wish to purchase an entry ticket. Priority entry to Ecosystems will be available with an IMAX ticket purchase or for Science Center members. For details, please visit the website at www.californiasciencecenter.org or phone (213) 744-2019.

The California Science Center and IMAX Theater are located in historic Exposition Park just west of the Harbor (110) Freeway at 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. For recorded information, including IMAX show times, call 323.SCIENCE (323.724-3623).

IMAX ticket prices range from $5.00 to $8.25. For advance ticket purchases, group rates, or to make reservations for any visiting group of 15 or more (required), call 213.744-2019. Parking is available in the guest lot at Figueroa and 39th / Exposition Park Drive at $8 per car, $10 for school buses and $25 for commercial buses or oversize vehicles. Both the Science Center and IMAX Theater are wheelchair accessible. For further information, please visit the website at www.californiasciencecenter.org.

Diver photo courtesy California Science Center, Leroy Hamilton/Photographer. All other photos by Jason Goldman/LAist.

(GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - The need is undeniable. Water is necessary for all life, but global water consumption is growing twice as fast as global population. More than one billion people already live in areas of water scarcity, and the number is increasing. Nalco (NYSE:NLC), the world leader in industrial water treatment, provides the essential expertise needed for companies to reduce their water footprint by using less water and fully treating discharged water, contributing to meeting this basic human need. "World Water Day is an important way to bring attention to the global problems of water scarcity and quality," says Erik Fyrwald, Nalco Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "It helps make it clear that we must develop water management practices that strike the proper balance among the many competing needs for water. In addition to developing long-term, systemic solutions, actions are needed today to make a difference in the lives of the many lacking adequate water and sanitation." In recognition of the United Nations' annual World Water Day, The Nalco Foundation has made a $150,000 grant to Water For People to support a water and hygiene program in West Bengal, India. The project in South 24 Parangas will drill and rehabilitate local wells, establish water committees to manage and maintain those wells and develop local hygiene promotion and education programs. Nalco employees are also participating in Water For People's World Water Corps, an independent volunteer program that provides follow-up monitoring and evaluation of the sustainability of completed water systems. The volunteers also conduct needs assessments to determine where Water For People programs should expand. "Nalco is also making a difference every day in the programs and services we provide our customers to reduce water and energy use," Fyrwald adds. "An example is our Green Chemistry Award-winning 3D TRASAR® cooling water technology, which is improving operations in thousands of industrial water systems around the world. Since its introduction, this single technology has saved more than 200 billion gallons (more than 757 billion liters) of water." Nalco has also committed to the United Nations' CEO Water Mandate, to support and advance water sustainability solutions and is partnering with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to develop best practices to protect and conserve water. Nalco will apply its global experience in safe and efficient industrial water use to help define the needs of priority areas facing water scarcity, poor water quality and degradation of freshwater habitats. About World Water Day The international observance of World Water Day originated with the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro. For more information, visit www.unwater.org/worldwaterday. About Water For People Water For People is a non-profit international development organization founded in 1991 to help people in developing countries improve their quality of life by supporting the development of locally sustainable drinking water resources, sanitation facilities, and health and hygiene education programs. For more information, visit http://www.waterforpeople.org. About Nalco Nalco is the world's leading water treatment and process improvement company, delivering significant environmental, social and economic performance benefits to our customers. We help our customers reduce energy, water and other natural resource consumption, enhance air quality, minimize environmental releases and improve productivity and end products while boosting the bottom line. Together our comprehensive solutions contribute to the sustainable development of customer operations. Nalco is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. More than 11,500 Nalco employees operate in 150 countries supported by a comprehensive network of manufacturing facilities, sales offices and research centers to serve a broad range of end markets. In 2009, Nalco achieved sales of more than $3.7 billion. For more information visit www.nalco.com. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Nalco_News and www.twitter.com/NalcoCompany. This news release includes forward-looking statements, reflecting current analysis and expectations, based on what are believed to be reasonable assumptions. Forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results to differ materially from those projected, stated or implied, depending on many factors, including, without limitation: ability to generate cash, ability to raise capital, ability to refinance, the result of the pursuit of strategic alternatives, ability to execute work process redesign and reduce costs, ability to execute price increases, business climate, business performance, economic and competitive uncertainties, higher manufacturing costs, reduced level of customer orders, changes in strategies, risks in developing new products and technologies, environmental and safety regulations and clean-up costs, foreign exchange rates, the impact of changes in the regulation or value of pension fund assets and liabilities, changes in generally accepted accounting principles, adverse legal and regulatory developments, including increases in the number or financial exposures of claims, lawsuits, settlements or judgments, or the inability to eliminate or reduce such financial exposures by collecting indemnity payments from insurers, the impact of increased accruals and reserves for such exposures, weather-related factors, and adverse changes in economic and political climates around the world, including terrorism and international hostilities, and other risk factors identified by the Company. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the Company will meet future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. This paragraph is included to provide safe harbor for forward-looking statements, which are not generally required to be publicly revised as circumstances change, and which the Company does not intend to update.

/PRNewswire/ - As surprising as it sounds in the current employment market, a renowned labor economist projects that there will be more jobs than people to fill them in the United States by 2018. Assuming a return to healthy economic growth and no change in immigration or labor force participation rates, Barry Bluestone, Dean of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University, predicts that within the next eight years there could be at least 5 million potential job vacancies in the United States, nearly half of them (2.4 million) in social sector jobs in education, health care, government and nonprofit organizations. The loss in total output could limit the growth of needed services and cost the economy as much as $3 trillion over the five-year period beginning in 2018. "If the baby boom generation retires from the labor force at the same rate and age as current older workers, the baby bust generation that follows will likely be too small to fill many of the projected new jobs," states Bluestone's report, After the Recovery: Help Needed - The Coming Labor Shortage and How People in Encore Careers Can Help Solve It. Bluestone's research is one of four papers written by independent experts and released today by MetLife Foundation and Civic Ventures, a think tank on boomers, work and social purpose. All four papers, which can be found at www.encore.org/research, assert that engaging workers over 55 in encore careers will be vital to meeting work force shortages and critical social needs. In addition to the Bluestone research, the three companion papers, written by experts in their fields, examine how creative approaches to staffing can help meet pressing problems in education, health care and the green economy, now and in the future. Bluestone's analysis builds on the 2008 MetLife Foundation/Civic Ventures Encore Career Survey conducted by Peter D. Hart and Associates, which shows that most people expect to work longer than previous generations, but that half of those aged 44 to 70 want encore careers that combine personal meaning, continued income and social impact. "Not only will there be jobs for these experienced workers to fill," Bluestone writes, "but the nation will absolutely need older workers to step up and take them." Bluestone's paper -- co-authored by Mark Melnik, Deputy Director for Research at the Boston Redevelopment Authority -- is based on official forecasts of population growth from the U.S. Census Bureau; forecasts of job growth and labor force participation from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; and estimates of the number of jobs in specific occupations based on the Labor Market Assessment Tool developed by the Dukakis Center and the Boston Redevelopment Authority. The research identifies 15 jobs that will provide the largest number of potential new encore career opportunities in the coming decade. The list is dominated by seven job categories in health care (registered nurses; home health aides; personal and home care aides; nursing aides, orderlies and attendants; medical assistants; licensed practical and vocational nurses; and medical and health service managers); three in education (teachers, teacher assistants and child care workers); others in nonprofits and government (business operations specialists; general and operations managers; and receptionists and information clerks); plus clergy and social and human service assistants. The three papers suggest that those over 55 have the skills and experience to help solve serious problems and to bridge critical labor gaps in education, health care and the green economy. In How Boomers Can Help Improve Health Care: Emerging Encore Career Opportunities in Health Care, Partners in Care Foundation outlines new approaches to care and staffing that can help people stay healthier and lower costs. Their research identifies six emerging jobs for experienced workers that have the potential to improve health outcomes: community health workers; chronic illness coaches; medications coaches; patient advocates; home- and community-based service navigators/advocates; and home modification specialists. In How Boomers Can Contribute to Student Success: Emerging Encore Career Opportunities in K-12 Education, the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future details how new, team-based approaches to school staffing could improve teacher retention, reduce turnover and increase student achievement. The organization's research identifies emerging jobs that will create learning teams in schools and offer promising opportunities to experienced workers: adjunct teachers, teacher coaches or mentors, content advisers, project coordinators, tutors and an assortment of other skilled jobs, from grant writer to community liaison. In How Boomers Can Help the Nation Go Green: Emerging Encore Career Opportunities in the Green Economy, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning reveals how talent and experience will be key to reversing decades of environmental damage and moving toward energy efficiency. Their research indicates that the green economy must tap existing talent to grow quickly and that certain emerging jobs offer promising opportunities to experienced workers: weatherization installers and crew leaders; energy auditors; solar contractors; solar installation trainers; outreach workers; and conservation and sustainability consultants and advocates. "This research makes it clear that interest in encore careers can help solve long-standing social problems and an anticipated labor gap," said Dennis White, president and CEO of MetLife Foundation. "It's time to think creatively about how to encourage and make use of this growing source of human talent." About Civic Ventures (www.encore.org) Civic Ventures is a national think tank on boomers, work and social purpose. About MetLife Foundation (www.metlife.org) MetLife Foundation was established in 1976 by MetLife to carry on its long-standing tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. The Foundation has been involved in a variety of aging-related initiatives addressing issues of caregiving, intergenerational activities, mental fitness, health and wellness programs and civic involvement.

This is the tenth post in a weekly series of Online American Digital Archives and Databases found for free at state, county, municipal, college and university history, library, and archive websites, as well as public and private library and museum sites, and historical and genealogical society sites.


Hawai`i State Archives Digital Collections - http://archives1.dags.hawaii.gov/gsdl/cgi-bin/library - Genealogical Indexes (marriages, divorces, probates, wills, and citizenship records, 1826-1929); Government Office Holders; Judiciary Records during the Hawaiian Kingdom; Land Index; Mahele Book (record of division of land between Kamehameha III, the chiefs and konohiki); Name Index, 1790-1950 (indexes to Foreign Office and Executive, Interior Department and Privacy Council records, books, newspapers, 1836-1950, and manuscripts); Passenger Manifests (to and from Hawai`i, 1843-1900); Tax Ledgers (1847-1900); Vital Statistics Collection (reports of births, marriages, and deaths, 1826-1929); and World War I Service Records (of Hawai`i residents)

Hawai`i State Public Library Newspaper Index - http://ipac2.librarieshawaii.org:81/#focus

Ulukau: The Hawaiian Electronic Library - http://ulukau.org/index.php?a=p&p=browse&wp=&cl=2.3.1&l=en - materials written in Hawaiian as well as books about Hawai`i written in English; these texts include both fiction and non-fiction. Atlases and gazetteers, interviews, city directories, dictionaries and grammars of the Hawaiian language, histories, geographies, Hawaiian arts and legends are featured here

Hawaiian Historical Society - http://www.hawaiianhistory.org/ - not a lot of online data, but does include Hawai`i History Moments (short essays); list of Hawai`i Political Leaders (monarchs, territorial and state governors, congressional representatives, and county mayors); and Significant Dates in the History of Hawai`i

Historic Hawaii Foundation - http://www.historichawaii.org - list of historic sites


Brigham Young University (Hawai`i) Joseph F. Smith Library Archives and Special Collections - http://library.byuh.edu/library/archives - Pacific Studies, campus photographs, interviews, Seabee images from Aamoa, Vanuatu, and Aotearoa/New Zealand during WWII; images of the Polynesian Cultural Center; images of the Laie Plantation; 1909-1911 images of Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island; oral histories

Kapi'olani Community College Asia-Pacific Digital Library - http://apdl.kcc.hawaii.edu/ - ethnobotany, weather patterns, stories of Hawai`i-born Nisei veterans of WWII, cross-strait directory, historic traditional stories

University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Library - http://library.manoa.hawaii.edu/research/digicoll.html - scrapbooks; documents recording the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom and annexation of Hawai`i; Chaplain Hiro Higuchi Correspondence (one of two chaplains attached to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, an all-Japanese American unit formed in January 1943); Dakin Fire Insurance Maps (1891, 1899, 1906); Mānoa campus history; congressional papers, War Records Depository, U.S. Army Signal Corps photos; Hawaian Language newspapers; Hawaiian and Asian art; maps; slides; Russian Passport Album (passport applications for 165 people who wished to leave Hawai`i and return to Russia); videos, and much, much more!

University of Hawaii (West Oahu) Center for Labor Education and Research Digitization Project - http://www.hawaii.edu/uhwo/clear/HonoluluRecord/index/hrindex.html - digitized images of the Honolulu Record from July 1, 1948 through July 3, 1958


Bishop Museum - http://www.bishopmuseum.org/research/onlinedata.html - contains a wealth of Hawaiiana online, as well as the Hawaiian Language Newspaper index, maps, and other online collections

Friends of Molu`ula - http://www.mokuula.com/archive/archive.php - videos, photos, music

Hawaii Digital Library - http://www.hidili.com/ - created by the Hagadone Printing Company to showcase magazines and other publications about Hawai`i, which can be viewed and downloaded

Honolulu County Genealogical Society - http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hihcgs/ - includes links to online records

Kamehameha Schools Archives - http://kapalama.ksbe.edu/archives/ - timelines, history, photos, manuscripts of Hawaii and of this preparatory school

Kaua`i Historical Society - http://www.kauaihistoricalsociety.org/ - history, photos of historic sites

Maui Historical Society - http://www.mauimuseum.org/ - paintings, stories, properties registered with the State and National Registers of Historic Places

Pacific Tsunami Museum - http://www.tsunami.org/archives.html - photos, stories, essays, and maps


Check out my Hawai`i Online Historical Directories and my Hawai`i Online Historical Newspapers pages.

Seventh in a nine-part series.

The following is PFW draft analyst Nolan Nawrocki’s exclusive ranking of the top 10 linebackers in the 2010 NFL draft, with an in-depth scouting report detailing each prospect’s positives, negatives, summary and projected draft spot. These reports have been excerpted from PFW's 2010 Draft Preview, scheduled for a March 30 release.

1. SLB-DRE Sergio Kindle
Texas senior
Ht: 6-2 7/8 | Wt: 250 | Sp: 4.68 | Arm: 33 1/4 | Hand: 10

Notes: Has a son. Abandoned by his mother as a child. Parade All-American who also competed in basketball and track as a prep. As a true freshman in 2006, backed up at strong-side linebacker and recorded 21 tackles (eight on special teams), 31⁄2 for loss and zero sacks in 11 games (missed the first two with a sprained left ankle). Was arrested in July '07 for driving while intoxicated and was suspended the first three games of the season. Saw action in eight contests in '07, notching 32-4-1/2 with one pass breakup. Did not play against Kansas State (right knee) or Oklahoma State (stinger). In '08, was used as a pass-rushing defensive end in defensive coordinator Will Muschamp's "Buck" package - started 11-of-13 games (nine at SLB, two at DE) - and registered 53-14-10 with two passes batted down and one forced fumble. Suffered a concussion in late June '09 when the car he was driving struck an apartment building. As a senior, became the first player ever to be a finalist for the Butkus (top linebacker) and Hendricks awards (top defensive end) in the same season. Started all 14 games at end, amassing 58-15-6 with four passes batted down and two forced fumbles. Was the first member of his family to attend college. Team captain.

Positives: Looks every bit the part with length and pro-ready musculature. Good instincts. Good athletic ability, balance and body control. Strong and powerful. Has explosive edge speed to bend the corner. Rips off blocks and closes fast to the quarterback. Controls blockers and can set the edge against the run. Can line up over tight ends and shadow them down the field. Shows awareness dropping into zone. Generates power through his hips and possesses explosive striking ability as a tackler. Plays hard and ranges to make plays. Tough and will play hurt. Versatile - has rushed from inside and outside and operated from a two- and three-point stance. Shows up in big games (see BCS title game against Alabama).

Negatives: Is tightly wound and shows some hip stiffness when moving laterally. Tends to play too upright. Needs to develop a wider array of countermoves. Has some growing up to do, and character will require scrutiny given past incidents involving alcohol. Lacks leadership qualities.

Summary: Athletic, explosive hybrid rusher with the power and explosion to make a Shawne Merriman-like impact heating up the edges from the outside in a "30" front. Biggest questions center around his maturity, but there is no doubting his physical talent.

NFL projection: Top-15 pick.

 

2. ILB Rolando McClain
Alabama junior
Ht: 6-3 3/8 | Wt: 254 | Sp: 4.7e | Arm: 33 | Hand: 9 3/8

Notes: Parade All-American who also played basketball as a prep. As a true freshman in 2007, started 9-of-13 games at the "Mike" linebacker and posted 75 tackles, five for loss and one sack with four pass breakups and two interceptions. Battled through a broken thumb and dislocated shoulder suffered against Colorado in the Independence Bowl. Survived a May '08 motorcycle accident with just a two-centimeter hole in his foot and skin damage. Started all 14 games at ILB spot in '08, tallying 95-12-3 with six pass breakups and one interception. Lacerated his right thumb against Mississippi, but had the injury stitched up before returning. Won the Butkus Award in '09 after leading the team in tackles by totaling 105-14 1/2-4 with four pass breakups, two interceptions and a forced fumble in 14 starts. Team captain. Did not work out at the Combine (hamstring). Disclosed he suffers from Crohn's Disease, an inflammatory disease of the intestines.

Positives: Has a pro-ready body with excellent size and length. Instinctive and football smart. Reads and reacts instantly. Sniffs out screens and draws. Natural bender with fluid movement skills. Good balance and body control. Excellent run defender - does not hesitate to blast the lead blocker and has good take-on strength. Attacks downhill and fills gaps quickly. Uncoils on contact and punishes ballcarriers. Athletic ability shows up in pass coverage - gets good depth in zone drops and runs with backs and tight ends in coverage - reacts to the thrown ball. Tough and will play hurt. Trusted on-field leader - lines up the defense and makes checks and audibles. Made an immediate impact and was a three-year starter at a premier program.

Negatives: Is high-hipped with long legs and tends to play too tall. Lacks great top-end speed and range. Overruns some plays. Not a thumper between the tackles and misses some tackles when he dips his head and tries to shoulder down ballcarriers. Can do a better job breaking down to tackle in space. Has to be schemed free as a blitzer - does not create a surge or use his hands well to accelerate off blocks. Does not play with abandon and throttles down on some plays. Lacks an intimidation factor.

Summary: Big-framed, long-limbed playmaker who is far and away the top inside linebacker available in this year's class. Possesses a unique blend of size, athletic ability and football smarts to step into a "30" front and start immediately. 

NFL projection: Top-15 pick.

 

3. WLB-MLB Sean Weatherspoon
Missouri senior
Ht: 6-1 1/4 | Wt: 239 | Sp: 4.66 | Arm: 31 1/4 | Hand: 10 1/4

Notes: Linebacker-receiver who also starred in track and basketball as a prep. As a true freshman in 2006, was named the Tigers' special-teams player of the year after appearing in all 13 games and recording 17 tackles, one for loss and zero sacks with one blocked kick. Stepped into the lineup at weak-side linebacker as a sophomore, starting all 14 games in '07. Totaled 130-9 1/2-3 with eight pass breakups and two forced fumbles. Underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder following '08 spring practice. Started all 14 games in '08, tallying 155-18 1/2-5 with seven breakups, three interceptions (two touchdowns) and two forced fumbles. Piled up 111-14 1/2-4 1/2 with two pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble in 13 starts in '09. Led the team in tackles his final three seasons. Team captain.

Positives: Is active and flies around the field. Has outstanding straight-line speed and an explosive short-area burst (40-inch vertical). Excellent balance - plays on his feet. Flows fast and shows outstanding range and closing speed. Good reactions in zone coverage. Striking tackler - hits with thump and uncoils on contact. Intense. Outstanding production. Bench-pressed 225 pounds 34 times at the Combine.

Negatives: Less-than-ideal size and arm length. Inconsistent play speed - throttles down at times. Does not have great eyes. Is a bit tightly wound and shows stiffness in his hips - struggles to sink his weight and break down in space. Plays heavy-legged. Does not change direction smoothly and can be run out by misdirection. Stays hung up on blocks and can be engulfed. Plays upright and could get knocked around between the tackles. Does not sift through clutter efficiently. Will lower his head and miss some tackles. Runs his mouth, draws attention to himself and carries a false bravado that could rub veterans the wrong way. Focus will have to be monitored - could be distracted by the trappings of success.

Summary: An intense, fast-flowing, productive, search-and-flow weak-side 'backer with first-round measurables, Weatherspoon is not universally liked amongst scouts. Is viewed by some decision makers as a potential locker-room toxin because he talks too much and carries a prima donna attitude. Is not for everybody and would be best served landing in a strong, veteran locker room where teammates hold him accountable.

NFL projection: First-round pick.

 

4. ROLB-DLE Jerry Hughes
TCU senior
Ht: 6-1 3/4 | Wt: 255 | Sp: 4.66 | Arm: 33 | Hand: 9 3/4

Notes: High school running back-kick returner who also played baseball. As a true freshman in 2006, saw very limited action in 10 games and recorded three tackles, one for loss and one sack. Saw action in all 13 games in '07, starting one (New Mexico), and recorded 30-3 1/2-1 with one interception. Started all 13 games at left end in '08 and led the nation in sacks by registering 52-19 1/2-15 with one pass batted down, two interceptions and six forced fumbles. In '09, won the Hendricks Award and the Lott Trophy after registering 58-16 1/2-11 1/2 with three passes batted down and two forced fumbles in 13 starts.

Positives: Very good behind-the-line production - was a fixture in the backfield. Good instincts - diagnoses quickly and locates the ball. Anticipates the snap and shows tremendous burst off the edge - has an explosive first step and can dip, bend and shave the corner. Good balance and lateral agility. Uses his hands well to protect his frame and maneuver. Light on his feet, loose-hipped and agile to zone-drop. Pursues hard and shows very good closing speed - tracks plays down from the back side. Striking, drive-through tackler. Extremely competitive with an excellent work ethic. Exceptionally tough and will play through pain. Consistent effort and energy. Has special-teams experience.

Negatives: Lacks ideal size - has thin ankles, wide hips and a squatty lower body. Does not generate power from his legs to push the pocket. Lacks bulk strength to hold his ground against the double-team. Does not consistently set the edge or constrict running lanes. Could stand to develop a more diverse arsenal of rush moves. Does not possess a jarring punch.

Summary: Might not fit the prototype from a height-weight-speed standpoint and still could improve defending the run but is fast off the edge, plays on his feet and shows the type of flexibility and relentlessness desired of pass rushers at the next level. Can be effective pressurizing the edges for an up-the-field, one-gap scheme like that of the Colts, or stand up as a rush linebacker in an aggressive, slanting "30" front such as that of the Steelers, 49ers or Ravens. Will bring immediate value as a nickel rusher.

NFL projection: Top-40 pick. 

 

5. WLB Daryl Washington
TCU senior
Ht: 6-1 3/4 | Wt: 230 | Sp: 4.64 | Arm: 34 1/2 | Hand: 9 1/2

Notes: Also lettered in basketball and track and field (once) as a prep. As a true freshman in 2006, saw action in all 13 games and made 16 tackles, one for loss and zero sacks with one forced fumble and one blocked punt. Dealt with back pain in '07 fall camp, but excelled on special teams, playing in 11 games and tallying 32-3-1/2 with one pass breakup and three blocked punts. Did not play the final two games of the season after suffering a shoulder injury against UNLV. In '08, played in all 13 games (starting at MLB against Stephen F. Austin and at SLB against Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl), posting 63-5 1/2-3 with four pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble. In '09, started all 13 games at the SLB spot in the Horned Frogs' 4-2-5 scheme, producing 109-11-2 with one pass breakup and three interceptions, including a 20-yard TD against New Mexico.

Positives: Nice length - has extremely long arms. Diagnoses quickly and plays fast - outstanding speed. Explosive athlete with fluid movement skills. Slices through creases and flows fast. Shows outstanding lateral pursuit - ranges to the sideline to track down ballcarriers. Explosive, wrap tackler. Very good in man coverage - has loose hips to mirror receivers. Good zone awareness - shows route recognition and reacts to throws. Dangerous blitzer - shows timing, acceleration and agility to sidestep blocks en route to the quarterback. Tough, intense and competitive. Plays hard.

Negatives: Has a lean frame and needs to bulk up. Strength limitations are exposed between the tackles - is too light, gets negated by larger blockers and could be pinballed at the next level. Marginal take-on strength. Is not hard-shouldered to blast lead blockers in the hole. Does not play strong-handed - stays stuck on blocks. Overruns some plays. Not a face-up, form tackler. Only a one-year starter.

Summary: Lean, long-armed, active playmaker with exceptional movement skills who should thrive as a 4-3 weak-side linebacker. Could be a very effective every-down linebacker in a penetrating, one-gap scheme, and at worst, a great nickel linebacker.

NFL projection: Top-50 pick.

 

6. SLB-ILB Sean Lee
Penn State senior
Ht: 6-2 1/8 | Wt: 236 | Sp: 4.76 | Arm: 32 | Hand: 8 3/4

Notes: Concluded his high school senior football season with a stress fracture in his right foot but played basketball and averaged 21.2 points. As a true freshman, debuted six games into the 2005 season and recorded 11 tackles without a tackle for loss or a sack in eight games as a reserve linebacker. In '06, started all 13 games and produced 90-8-5 1/2 with two pass breakups, one interception and two forced fumbles. Started all 13 games in '07, notching 138-10 1/2-3 1/2 with eight pass breakups, one interception and three forced fumbles. Was slated to play middle linebacker in '08 before tearing the ACL in his right knee during a spring scrimmage and undergoing season-ending surgery. Was held out of '09 spring practice for precautionary reasons. Started 8-of-10 games played in '09, totaling 86-11-2 with seven pass breakups and one interception. Sprained his left knee against Temple, missed three games and did not start against Minnesota or Michigan. Team captain.

Positives: Outstanding football intelligence, eyes and instincts - has a feel for the position and a nose for the football. Fine athletic ability, balance and knee bend. Uses his hands well to play off blocks. Good lateral range - pursues hard to the sideline. Understands leverage. Shows good awareness in zone coverage - roughs up crossers and reacts to the thrown ball. Secure wrap tackler - does not miss many. Competes and plays hard. Has a good work ethic and is passionate about the game - high football IQ. Is mentally tough with excellent character - well-respected by teammates and coaches. Versatile and has played inside and outside. Has special-teams experience. Posted a 37 1/2-inch vertical leap at the Combine and interviewed very well.

Negatives: Not a thumper - lacks bulk and is not strong at the point of attack. Lacks elite burst and closing speed. Shows some hip tightness in coverage and does not get great depth in zone drops. Gives ground to get off blocks and can be neutralized by larger linemen. Average blitzer. Durability needs to be evaluated.

Summary: Versatile, active, highly competitive 'backer who fits a throwback mold. Stability of his knee will have to be checked out, and he needs to get stronger, but Lee makes all the plays he should and brings the type of dependability and lunch-pail mentality valued in the middle of the defense. Offers versatility to play any linebacker spot.

NFL projection: Top-50 pick.

 

7. WLB Navorro Bowman
Penn State junior
Ht: 6-0 1/2 | Wt: 242 | Sp: 4.74 | Arm: 33 | Hand: 9 7/8

Notes: Has a son. Also played basketball as a prep in Maryland. Missed most of his senior season with a right shoulder injury that required surgery. Redshirted in 2006. Backed up on the weak side in '07, playing in nine games and recording 16 tackles, 2 1/2 for loss and a sack with a pass breakup, forced fumble and blocked punt. Sustained a sprained right ankle against Illinois and did not play against Iowa or Wisconsin. Was part of a group that allegedly beat up a man during a fraternity party in October '07, an incident that cost Bowman the final two games of the season. Was initially charged with felony assault and two misdemeanors (simple assault, disorderly conduct), and he was temporarily dismissed from the team in January '08 while the case was pending. Ultimately pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct and was sentenced to one year probation and 100 hours of community service. In June '08, coped with the unexpected loss of his father. Was reinstated for fall camp and earned the starting job in Week Four. Played in all 13 games, starting the final 10 on the weak side, and tallied 106-16 1/2-4 with five pass breakups, an interception and two forced fumbles. Violated his probation in the spring of '09 (admitted to using marijuana) and was sentenced to an extra 12 months of probation. Started all 11 games at WLB spot in '09, tallying 93-17-3 with three pass breakups and two interceptions (73-yard TD return against Indiana). Missed September games against Syracuse and Temple while nursing a right groin injury. Wore jersey No. 18 prior to his junior year before switching to No. 11 in honor of former Nittany Lion great and NFL Pro Bowler LaVar Arrington, with whom Bowman is close.

Positives: Athletic frame with lean muscle definition. Has fluid movement skills and natural bend. Plays on his feet and is quick and agile to slip blocks. Moves well laterally and is loose-hipped to redirect. Good range - flows fast and accelerates to the ball. Quick to fill gaps. Solid, wrap tackler with striking ability. Comfortable playing in reverse - often was assigned to the slot and gets good depth in his drops. Good zone awareness - reacts to the thrown ball. Three-down player with special-teams experience. Good production when healthy and showed up in big games.

Negatives: Needs to add bulk - lacks strength at the point of attack and gets outmuscled in the trenches. Gives ground to get off blocks and needs to learn to use his hands to disengage. Can be a tick late to diagnose and bites on play-action. Too much clear-air production - needs to come free as a blitzer. Has a 29 1/2-inch vertical jump. Durability and character need to be evaluated. Immature. Rubbed coaches the wrong way at the Combine, coming off as selfish and arrogant in interviews.

Summary: Athletic, field-fast, run-and-hit "Will" linebacker who persevered through adversity to be a very productive player in college. Has starter-caliber athletic ability, range and tackling skills and would fit best in a one-gapping 4-3 alignment. Projects as a three-down, two-phase player which adds to value.

NFL projection: Second-round pick.

 

8. ILB Brandon Spikes
Florida senior
Ht: 6-2 7/8 | Wt: 249 | Sp: 4.95e | Arm: 33 3/8 | Hand: 10

Notes: Cousin, Josh Briscoe, played receiver at Tennessee (2005-08). Older brother, Breyon Middlebrooks, was convicted of first-degree murder and is serving life in prison. Brandon moved from defensive end to linebacker as a high school senior and dropped 30 pounds. Earned one start (Western Carolina) in nine appearances as a true freshman in 2006, making six tackles, one for loss and zero sacks with one pass breakup. Started all 13 games at middle linebacker in '07, posting 131-16-1 1/2 with seven pass breakups and one forced fumble. Battled knee tendinitis in November. In '08, registered 93-8-2 with two pass breakups and four interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns (drew an unsportsmanlike penalty after scoring against LSU and punting the ball into the stands). Did not play in the season opener (right foot) and sprained an ankle against South Carolina. Started all 12 games played in '09, posting 68-6 1/2-3 with three pass breakups, two interceptions (both returned for scores) and one forced fumble. Was suspended against Vanderbilt for trying to gouge the eyes of a Georgia defender, then sat out against Mississippi State (left groin). Team captain. Chose not to run, perform shuttles or bench-press at the Combine.

Positives: Plays faster than he times. Exceptional football playing instincts. Has great eyes, diagnoses instantly and reacts. Rarely fooled by misdirection and sniffs out screens and draws. Strong run defender - has good take-on strength. Can scrape and fill and knife gaps. Has long arms and uses his hands well to play off blocks. Protects his legs and plays on his feet. Pursues hard to the ball. Rushed from a three-point stance on passing downs. Very good zone awareness. Secure tackler. Tough, competitive and intense - motor always runs. Emotional, vocal on-field leader. Motivated.

Negatives: Lacks ideal foot speed - opted not to run at the Combine. Too leggy and high-hipped. Not overly athletic or sudden - spins his wheels and does not accelerate quickly. Average closing burst. Struggles to drop his weight and break down in space. Dips his head and misses some tackles. Will struggle to hang with quicker backs and tight ends in coverage. Marginal weight-room strength - did not commit to the weight room as a young player. Lets emotion get the best of him at times.

Summary: A better football player than athlete, Spikes is a physical, high-motor linebacker in the mold of Bryan Cox with an intense on-field presence and superb instincts. Lack of foot speed will limit him to playing between the tackles and will bring the most value to a "30" front given great size and take-on strength.

NFL projection: Second- to third-round pick.

 

9. SLB Eric Norwood
South Carolina senior
Ht: 6-0 7/8 | Wt: 245 | Sp: 4.76 | Arm: 33 3/8 | Hand: 9 1/2

Notes: Also competed in basketball and track and field as a prep. Recruited as a defensive end, posted 30 tackles, nine for loss and seven sacks with one pass batted down in 13 games as a true freshman in 2006. Started all 12 games in '07,  registering 69-19-6 with three passes batted down and one blocked punt. Also returned two fumbles for touchdowns against Kentucky. Moved to weak-side 'backer in '08. Started all 13 games, tallying 75-14 1/2-9 with one pass breakup and one forced fumble. Sprained his left wrist during '09 fall camp, but started all 13 games at WLB and racked up 81-11 1/2-7 with three pass breakups, two interceptions, one forced fumble and three blocked kicks. Owns school records for career sacks (29) and tackles for loss (54 1/2). Team captain.

Positives: Thick, square-shaped build with broad shoulders. Good flexibility to bend, rip get underneath blockers and trim the corner. Has strong hands and works them in unison with his feet. Sets up moves and attacks from different angles. Flashes a spin move. Navigates traffic without losing sight of the ball. Determined blitzer - good second effort if initial charge is thwarted. Solid, face-up tackler. Has a 36 1/2-inch vertical. Plays hard. Smart, tough and durable. Well-respected vocal leader. Coachable. Good character. Very productive in a top conference.

Negatives: Lacks ideal height and speed is just average for his size. Can be neutralized by bigger blockers. Lacks take-on strength to defend the run. Instincts wane playing on his feet - not a space player. Does not always maintain field leverage - will overrun some plays and lose contain. Limited in man coverage - exposed by quicker running backs.

Summary: Thickly built power-leverage rusher at his best pinning his ears back and rushing the quarterback. Better football player than athlete and would be best as a rush linebacker for an aggressive "30" front such as that of the Steelers, Ravens or 49ers.

NFL projection: Second- to third-round pick.

 

10. LOLB-DRE Ricky Sapp
Clemson senior
Ht: 6-3 7/8 | Wt: 252 | Sp: 4.67 | Arm: 34 1/2 | Hand: 9 3/4

Notes: Also lettered in track and basketball as a prep. Was a three-year state track champion, posting career-best times of 10.76 seconds in the 100 meters and 21.0 in the 200. As a true freshman in 2006, appeared in all 13 games, making 20 tackles, six for loss and four sacks despite getting fewer than 20 snaps per game. Started all 13 games at "bandit" end in '07, registering 52-10-5 with three passes batted down and one forced fumble. Sustained a sprained ankle in fall camp and strained a hamstring in practice prior to the Boston College contest. In '08, started 9-of-10 games at "bandit" end and managed 28-10-2 with a batted pass. Suffered a ruptured bursa sac in his right knee in the season opener against Alabama that sidelined him against The Citadel and limited him to 15 snaps against North Carolina State. Tore the ACL in his right knee against Virginia and missed the final two games. Sat out spring practice, but returned to start all 14 games at the "bandit" in '09, posting 60-15-5 with one forced fumble. Team captain honored with the "Iron Man" award for his ability to play through injury.

Positives: Extremely athletic with very long arms to create extension and lock out. Excellent straight-line speed and closing burst. Moves well laterally and closes hard down the line. Good playing range - slips blocks and covers ground in a hurry. Quick, active hands. Can break down and tackle in space.

Negatives: Does not play to his timed speed. Too often throttles down. Average eyes and instincts. Not strong or physical. Lacks lower-body strength and is not strong at the point of attack - can be run at. Hand use needs refinement - struggles to disengage. Average sack production. Durability and character need to be evaluated.

Summary: Played a hybrid position in college but projects best to rush linebacker in the NFL. Is the type of flexible athlete coveted at the rush linebacker position by 3-4 teams or could keep his hand on the ground as a right defensive end in a "40" front where he could fly off the snap and use his speed to pressure the passer.

NFL projection: Top-50 pick.

Monday: Top 10 DB prospects

To read all of Nolan Nawrocki's scouting reports on 395 players, as well as player rankings, team needs and much more, you can now pre-order your copy of the 2010 Draft Preview online at PFWstore.com, or you can purchase your copy of the book at newsstands and bookstores across the country when it goes on sale March 30.

For the most authoritative NFL draft news and free-agency analysis, visit ProFootballWeekly.com.

so, it's September 10th 2001, Donald Rumsfeld has just announced the missing 2.3 trillion dollars and annual war games are afoot, Vigilant Guardian and Global Guardian - in fact, these war games have been going on for years and this year they specifically involve interception of commercial airliners that have been hijacked and used to fly into buildings, despite what Condoleezza Rice will say soon after 9-11.

Well, as interesting as that may be, there were also a series of Global Conventions specifically slated to last from September 10th - 12th of 2001 dealing with computer/communications technology, aerospace/defense, United Nations, space-based technology, women & children's services, health & environment. You might have to sit down here, 'cos this is an eye opener.


COMPUTER/COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY:

Al Gore Was Here: IIWAS2001
Third International Conference on Information Integration and Web-Based Applications & Services 10-12 September 2001, Linz Austria
http://www.iiwas.org/conferences/iiwas2001/
http://www.iiwas.org/conferences/iiwas2001/presentations.htm

UK Workshop on Computational Intelligence Edinburgh, 10-12 September 2001
http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/ukci-01/
http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/ukci-01/pc.html

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 2001 International Workshop on Neural Networks for Signal Processing Sep 10-12 Falmouth, MA
http://isp.imm.dtu.dk/nnsp2001/

ALCOM-FT Summer School on Algorithm Engineering, September 10-12 2001, IASI-CNR, Viale Manzoni 30 Rome, Italy
http://web.archive.org/web/20010609183832/www.info.uniroma2.it/~italiano/School/

ASSE 2001 Second Argentine Symposium on Software Engineering September 10-12, 2001
http://www.cs.rmit.edu.au/asse2001/

Symposium on Integrated Circuits and Systems Design, September 10-12, 2001 Brazil
http://www.ifip.or.at/minutes/ga2001/brazil.pdf

The conference theme, ‘Everything’s Clicking’, reflects the changes in the contact center industry as customers continue to choose alternative contact methods to the telephone. Multimedia contact centers, both single and multi-site, with more than 415,000 agents at over 1,650 sites worldwide rely on IEX to improve service levels while lowering operating costs.

Second Annual TotalView(TM) European User Conference, September 10-12, 2001 Dublin, Ireland
http://www.tekelec.com/news-&-events/?prID=235

Gartner, Inc. is a research and advisory firm that helps more than 10,000 clients understand technology and drive business growth. Gartner's divisions consist of Gartner Research, Gartner Consulting, Gartner Measurement and Gartner Events. Founded in 1979, Gartner, Inc. is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut and consists of 4,600 associates, including 1,400 research analysts and consultants, in more than 80 locations worldwide. The company achieved fiscal 2000 revenues of $855 million.

Gartner's CRM Summit in Orlando, Florida, September 10-12, 2001
http://www.gartner.com/2_events/conferences_briefings/conferences/crf3.jsp
http://www.gartner.com/5_about/press_releases/2001/pr20010809c.html


AVIATION:

AISCE - SPEEDNEWS SECOND AVIATION INDUSTRY SUPPLIERS CONFERENCE IN EUROPE September 10-12, 2001
http://www.speednews.com/ProceedingPDF.aspx?t=BIO&pid;=89


DEFENSE INDUSTRY:

Symposium on Providing the Means of War: Historical Perspectives on Defense
Acquisition, 1945-2000, Held September 10-12, 2001
http://bookstore.gpo.gov/actions/GetPublication.do?stocknumber=008-029-00414-3

US Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board September 10-12, 2001 Meeting of the Full Board Las Vegas, NV
http://www.nwtrb.gov/meetings/meetings.html


UNITED NATIONS:

54th Annual DPI/NGO Conference - NGO's Today: Diversity of the Volunteer Experience September 10-12, 2001 United Nations Headquarters, New York
http://www.angelfire.com/journal/brooke2000/dec.2001.html

Experts Roundtable: University and Technology-for-Literacy/Basic Education Partnership in Developing Countries (UTLP) September 10-12, 2001, Paris France
Co-sponsors: International Literacy Institute, Ford Foundation, OECD, UNESCO,
DFID
http://www.literacy.org/products/ili/webdocs/UTLPprog.html

Reaching Consensus in the Process of Reforms - Overcoming Vested Interests and Social Divides "The process of healing the society cannot be realised without the liberation and opening up of that society in all its segments, including the basic economic aspects. Free economy stabilises the society but also encourages its consumer aspect. Certain degree of regulation is needed at that level in order to further promote development of the society in terms of culture and education. In my view, the example of George Soros is one of the best illustration of the attempt to reconcile these two seemingly irreconcilable opposites."
Partners in Transition Conference, Sofia, Bulgaria September 10-12, 2001
www.b92.net/companyprofile/sofia-speach.doc


SPACE-BASED TECHNOLOGY:

GIAC Digital Distortion Anomaly Test September 10-12, 2001
http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/FGCS/info/giacmem010607.htm
http://911review.org/Wiki/Gps.shtml

"The COSPAR Colloquium on Solar-Terrestrial Magnetic Activity and Space Environment (STMASE) was held in the National Astronomy Observatories of Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) in Beijing, China in September 10-12, 2001. The meeting was focused on five areas of the solar-terrestrial magnetic activity and space environment studies, including study on solar surface magnetism; solar magnetic activity, dynamical response of the heliosphere; space weather prediction; and space environment exploration and monitoring. A hot topic of space research, CMEs, which are widely believed to be the most important phenomenon of the space environment, is discussed in many papers. Other papers show results of observational and theoretical studies toward better understanding of the complicated image of the magnetic coupling between the Sun and the Earth, although little is still known little its physical background. Space weather prediction, which is very important for a modern society expanding into out-space, is another hot topic of space research. However, a long way is still to go to predict exactly when and where a disaster will happen in he space. In that sense, there is much to do for space environment exploration and monitoring. The manuscripts submitted to this Monograph are divided into the following parts: (1) solar surface magnetism, (2) solar magnetic activity, (3)
dynamical response of the heliosphere, (4) space environment exploration and monitoring; and (5) space weather prediction. Papers presented in this meeting but not submitted to this Monograph are listed by title as unpublished papers at the end of this book."

COSPAR COLLOQUIUM on Solar-Terrestrial Magnetic Activity and Space Environment, September 10-12, 2001, Beijing, China
http://cosparhq.cnes.fr/Meetings/Collenvironment.htm
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Solar-Terrestrial-Magnetic-Activity-Space-Environment/dp/0080441106


CHINESE TRADE MISSION:

Pack Expo in Las Vegas from September 10-12, 2001
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/imr-ri3.nsf/eng/gr-81398.html
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/1997/07/16/21120/iridium.html
http://www.buyusa.gov/china/en/


MOSSAD FRONT IN FLORIDA:

Material World, September 10-12, 2001, in Miami Beach, Florida
http://www.nationaltextile.org/nta/promotions/promotions2001.htm#mw
http://www.flocking.org/


WOMEN & CHILDREN FIRST:

National Center for Strategic Nonprofit Planning and Community Leadership's (NPCL) Second Annual Women of Excellence Conference September 10-12, 2001 San Diego
http://www.npcl.org/woe2001/welcome.htm

Conference on Crafting Individualized Services for Women Sept 10-12 2001 Austin, Texas
http://www.ncdsv.org/images/FinalagendaCraftingIndividualized_Sep_2001.pdf

September 10-12, 2001, International Conference on Work Teams, Dallas, TX
http://www.pegasuscom.com/levpoints/lp12.html

Institute for Child Health Policy Tri-Regional Workshop September 10 - 12, 2001 Scottsdale, Arizona
http://web.archive.org/web/20060902210614/http://cshcnleaders.ichp.edu/TriRegionals2001/agenda.htm

Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement's (OCSE) 11th National Child Support Enforcement Training Conference September 10-12, 2001 in Arlington, Virginia http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/2001/dcl-01-21.htm


HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT:


TDA Healthcare Information Technology Conference Bangkok, Thailand - September
10-12, 2001
www.us-asean.org/Thailand/TDABangkokITFactsheet.doc

XVII Annual Meeting of the Histiocyte Society, September 10-12, 2001, Palazzo Congressi Stresa, Stresa, Italy
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/90510834/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY;=0

The Triticeae Consortium Fourth International symposium, Córdoba, Spain, September 10-12, 2001
http://herbarium.usu.edu/triticeae/tritsym.htm

Working Group on Allergenicity of the Ad Hoc Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology Vancouver, BC Sept. 10-12
http://www.biotech-info.net/allergenicity_report.html

INFISH FIELD REVIEW BEAVERHEAD-DEERLODGE NATIONAL FOREST, PINTLER RANGER DISTRICT September 10-12, 2001
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/fish/pacfish-field-reviews-2001/2001-B-D-INFISH_Field_Rev-html.htm

Reservoir management is defined as maximizing the economic value of a reservoir
by optimizing recovery of hydrocarbon while minimizing capital investments and
operating expenses (Johnston, 1992). The choice should be “make it happen”
instead of “let it happen”.

INDONESIAN ASSOCIATION OF GEOLOGISTS GEOSEA 2001 30th Annual Conference, 10th Regional Congress, Yogyakarta September 10-12, 2001
http://www.pertamina-ep.com/pdf/iagi-2001.pdf


MISCELLANEOUS:

AIKIDO AND KATORI SHINTO RYU SEMINAR WITH TETSUTAKA SUGAWARA SENSEI Silver Spring, MD
http://www.capitalaikikai.org/sugawara.html

Exploratory Block Analysis of Field Consciousness Effects on Global RNGs on September 11, 2001
http://noosphere.princeton.edu/williams/GCP911.html

IHM-HCI 2001 (incorporating IHM2001 and HCI2001) Interaction without frontiers - providing a special opportunity for the French- and English-speaking HCI communities to interact. IHM-HCI'2001 will cover all main areas of HCI research but will focus on considering the challenges of new applications. Suitable topic areas include: interactive system design; interaction tools and techniques; users with special needs, design issues that cross boundaries (cultural, linguistic, disciplinary); theoretical, organisational, social and cultural issues. [Interaction Homme-Machine/Human-Computer Interaction]
IHM-HCI 2001 (Lille, France)
http://www.bcs-hci.org.uk/hci2001
http://web.archive.org/web/20010525035217/http://www.ihm-hci2001.org/
http://personal.cis.strath.ac.uk/~mdd/mobilehci01/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MobileHCI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Johnson_(researcher)
http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/~johnson/
http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/~stephen/aboutme.shtml

BMVC 2001 - British Machine Vision Conference
http://web.archive.org/web/20010302231835/http://www.bmvc2001.man.ac.uk/
http://web.archive.org/web/20010603080031/www.bmvc2001.man.ac.uk/main.html
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/project/cil/ftp/html/v-conf.html

Seventh International Workshop on Acoustic Echo and Noise Control September 10-13, 2001 Darmstadt, Germany
http://www1.tu-darmstadt.de/iwaenc2001/

18th GRETSI Symposium On Signal and Image Processing September 10-13, 2001 Toulouse, France
http://web.archive.org/web/20010612184949/http://www.cta-congres.com/gretsi/
http://eu.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=6007

64th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society September 10-14, 2001 Vatican City
http://web.archive.org/web/20010302022315/http://geoweb.gg.utk.edu/2001/METSOC2001.HTML
http://www.permanent.com/home-new.htm

THE 21ST CENTURY COMMERCE INTERNATIONAL EXPO 2001 Phoenix, AZ
http://www.dcnicn.com/CALSExpo2001/IETM.asp
http://www.isi.edu/tcpsat/list/archive/1405.html

Third International Conference on Product Focused Software Process Improvement, PROFES 2001, Kaiserslautern, Germany September 10-13, 2001
http://www.informatik.uni-bremen.de/uniform/vm97/conferences/profes01.htm
http://www.informatik.uni-trier.de/~ley/db/conf/profes/profes2001.html

ISA2001 (Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society) September 10-13, 2001 Houston, TX
http://www.cpac.washington.edu/NeSSI/12_ISA_2001/ISA_Meeting_Summary.htm

SHARC International DSP Conference 2001, pp.127-130, Boston, USA, September 10-13, 2001
http://www.ac.cs.musashi-tech.ac.jp/~drben/proceed.html

Conference Agenda (2001) "Building Relationships: The Pulse of Operations"

Fourth Annual CUNA OpSS Council Conference September 9–12, 2001 * Lake Buena Vista, Florida
http://www.cunaopsscouncil.org/events/conf_01/conf01_agenda.html
http://www.cuna.org/cuna/index.html

Recent AcSEC Meetings - September 11-12, 2001 New York
http://www.aicpa.org/Professional+Resources/Accounting+and+Auditing/Accounting+Standards/status/091101.htm

KENYA PRESENTATION: FORUM ON POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGIES – DAKAR, SEPTEMBER 10-13, 2001
info.worldbank.org/etools/docs/library/96263/kenyaprsppresentation.pdf
Includes: El Nino, La Nina, and World Commodity Prices - Allan D. Brunner
www.imf.org/external/np/ins/english/pdf/CourVol4.pdf
http://www.imf.org/external/np/prspgen/review/2001/091801.htm

The Digital Initiative for Development (DID) Agency - An International Consultative Workshop September 11-12, 2001, Beirut, Lebanon
http://www.worldforum.org/Commission-On-Globalisation/homelinks/publications.htm
www.worldforum.org/Commission-On-Globalisation/homelinks/did_final_report.doc

The National Science Foundation Workshop on Computational Physics - September 11 - 12, 2001 Arlington, Virginia
http://www.lbl.gov/Conferences/NSF/Computation/workshop.html

9th International Symposium on Heavy Flavor Physics Sept. 10-13 2001 Pasadena, CA
www.slac.stanford.edu/pubs/slacpubs/9000/slac-pub-9000.pdf

NextGens Technologies - Conferences - Reinforcement Papers - Seattle - September 11-12, 2001
http://www.ttivanguard.com/seattlereconn/

4-th International Conference on Parallel Processing and Applied Mathematics Naleczow, Poland, September 9-12, 2001
http://ppam.pcz.pl/ppam2001/special.htm
http://www.informatik.uni-trier.de/~ley/db/conf/ppam/ppam2001.html

TSD 2001: Zelezna Ruda, Czech Republic (An International Conference on Text Speech and Dialogue)
http://www.informatik.uni-trier.de/~ley/db/conf/tsd/tsd2001.html

New Security Paradigms Workshop was held September 10 - 13, 2001 at Cloudcroft, New Mexico
http://www.ieee-security.org/Cipher/ConfReports/2001/CR2001-NSPW.html

Annual Conference of the European Association for Computer Science Logic
September 10-13, 2001 Paris, France
http://www.lsv.ens-cachan.fr/Events/csl01/

September 10-13 2001 Society for Biomolecular Sciences (SBS) Conference 2001 Beyond The Human Genome in Baltimore, MD
http://www.timtec.com/timtec/trade_shows.htm

Workshop on Coding and Cryptography Program (10 - 13 September 2001) Singapore
http://www.ims.nus.edu.sg/Programs/coding/wkschdule2.htm

International Conference on Document Analysis and Recognition (ICDAR) Seattle, September 10-13 2001
http://icdar.djvuzone.org/index.html

Nutrition Education for Diverse Audiences September 10 - 13, 2001 Dallas, TX
www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/food/efnep/pdf/necd2-program.pdf

North American Numbering Council Meeting Minutes Sep. 11-12, 2001
www.fcc.gov/wcb/cpd/Nanc/sept2001minutes.pdf

Pointing control for a giant segmented mirror telescope Tucson Sep. 11-12 2001
www.gsmt.noao.edu/point_design/controls/Wallace0911.ppt

Monaco Government Tourist Office breakfast tourist seminars September 10-13, 2001 Florida
http://www.visitmonaco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/page.viewpage/pageid/93

Workshop on Research Opportunities on Human Neuroborreliosis September 9 – 12, 2001 • Warrenton, VA
http://web.archive.org/web/20060622150026/http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/html/workshops/workshops/humanneuro20010909.html

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Commission for Basic Systems, Meeting of the Emergency Response Activities Coordination Group, Washington, D.C., U.S.A., 10 to 14 September 2001 ICAO representative (as observer): R. Romero, Technical Officer, Meteorology Section, Air Navigation Bureau.
The meeting was attended by 18 participants from 10 States and four international organizations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). The meeting was advised on the elements of Amendment 72 to Annex 3—Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation and WMO Technical Regulations (C.3.1) concerning the provision of information to aircraft in flight of the accidental release of radioactive material into the atmosphere. The group noted that in order to meet the Annex 3 requirements, there was no need to change the current Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres (RSMC) procedures for response to nuclear and radiological accidents.

Airports Council International (ACI)
World/North America Conference and Exhibition,
Montreal, Canada, 9 to 12 September 2001
ICAO representatives (as part-time observers): A. Kotaite, President of the Council, J. Howell, Director, Air Navigation Bureau, M. Elamiri, Director, C. Lyle, Deputy Director, Air Transport Bureau, V. Zubkov, Chief, Regional Affairs Office
The annual global meeting of ACI was combined for 2001 with the North American regional meeting, resulting in participation by over 2 000 delegates, including high-level representatives of airports and international organizations worldwide. Keynote presentations were made by the Deputy Director General of the World Trade Organization, who advocated broad application of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) to air transport in general and to airport services in particular, and by the President of the Council of ICAO, whose address was circulated to representatives. The President, inter alia, cautioned against wholesale application of the GATS to international air transport, referring in particular to the obligations of States under Article 28 of the Chicago Convention regarding the provision of airports and air navigation facilities. General sessions were held on 10 September on “Airport and Airline Alliances: The Power of Networks” and “Airport Commercialization: Thriving on Change”. Events on 11 and 12 September were severely curtailed and then cancelled in the light of the terrorist attacks in the United States.
http://www.icao.int/HyperDocs/Display.cfm?Name=C-WP/11717⟪=E
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hawkscafe/messages/241?xm=1&m;=e&l;=1


SUPPLEMENTAL

The Caux Round Table originated in 1986 out of a desire to reduce trade tensions between Japan and the West, including Europe and North America [i.e. Trilateral
Commission]. In the early 90s, the Caux Round Table became aware of the *Minnesota Principles*, a set of ethical guidelines developed by leaders of global business enterprises who were members of the Minnesota Center for Corporate Responsibility. Mr. Kaku and other members of the CRT saw in these principles the spirit of *kyosei*, and encouraged the Round Table to enrich, embrace, and share them as the Caux Principles for Business. Facilitated by Kenneth Goodpaster, the Caux Principles in their present form were drafted at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis with input from Japan, Europe, and the U.S. The CRT at its annual meeting in 1994 officially accepted them. Denny pointed out that the Caux Principles were in many ways principles of servant leadership, "converting sinners by showing that saints have more fun!" (He also mentioned that Steve Young had done an essay illustrating the compatibility of the Caux Principles with the great world religions and ethical traditions.)

By the mid-to-late 90s, said Denny, it was clear that the CRT Principles represented a widely-known commitment to business responsibility -- responsibility not only for (1) the creation of wealth, but also (2) the equitable distribution of wealth, and (3) the support of social sector organizations that are dedicated to the common good.

"Might we not hope," Denny asked, "that eventually the spirit of the Caux Principles could help ameliorate some of the violent protest against globalization witnessed in Seattle, Washington and Genoa, Italy?"

Our first session centered on a bold vision for the Caux Round Table, a direction not entertained before in its history. More than avoiding trade friction, more even than promotion of principled business leadership, we were being invited to contribute to a new economic climate. Global business must seek prosperity, yes, but prosperity anchored in justice and the common good.

Pope John Paul II, in his recent remarks to President George W. Bush, mentioned the *opportunity* that globalization presents to the World community -- so long as *responsibility* goes hand in hand with globalization.

Monday Evening, September 10, 2001

Reception, Churchill Room at the Houses of Parliament with Prince Michael of Kent [head of world Freemasonry] and the Rt. Hon. Lord Howe and Baroness Howe [http://www.ditchley.co.uk/page/251/identity-and-religion.htm]. The Caux Round Table was taken by motor coach to the Churchill Room in the Houses of Parliament at the end of the afternoon.

Tuesday Morning, September 11, 2001

Edward G. Schuh, Professor in International Trade and Investment Policy at the University of Minnesota: "We should convert the IMF into a central bank of the world, and 'SDRs' (special drawing rates) should increase at a constant rate."

Bernard Lietaer, Professor of International Finance at the University of Louvain, offered a PowerPoint presentation based on his paper. His proposal was that global corporations embrace a long-term parallel currency, the "Terra," which would support their ecological, economic, and social bottom lines so frequently heard of today. "Monetary rewards today systematically discount the future," he said, "and both regulation and moral suasion have a hard time of it when they are up against financial incentives." The creation of a "Terra alliance" would allow companies to avoid currency fluctuations while encouraging longer-term thinking with a 3-4% demurrage.

Raymond Baker, Senior Fellow at the Center for International Policy in Washington, D.C., reflected on the presentations of both Schuh and Lietaer, suggesting that both seemed to be moving toward global monetary exchanges, one with "SDRs" and the other with "Terras."

As the group began to re-assemble after the break at about 2:00 pm, news began to trickle into the room about an airliner crashing into the World Trade Center in New York. There was some confusion and one or two members of the group used international mobile phones to try to get more information. The true magnitude of the events in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania would not fully be known by the participants until later in the afternoon, at the conclusion of the meeting. Uncertain of the details but aware a great tragedy was occurring, participants stood for a moment of silence and prayer to reflect on the violent harm that had been done by unknown hands.

The nightmare of terrorism in the United States shocked the civilized world on 11 September 2001. Our lives changed as CRT completed its meeting in London, and our lives would never be the same. Indeed, global business -- symbolized by the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center -- would never be the same. Perhaps we could hope that a new outpouring of unity and solidarity among nations would draw some common good from this terrible atrocity.. And perhaps we could hope that the new global vision for the Caux Round Table -- born at this meeting -- would be part of that common good. [source CAUX ROUND TABLE]

Ditchley Foundation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ditchley_Foundation
http://www.ditchley.co.uk/

Team Renewal Project (TRP) / Kenneth Goodpaster
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/09/prweb159787.htm
http://www.nd.edu/~philinst/energy.html

Win Wallin
http://www.tcbmag.com/halloffame/minnesotabusinesshalloffame/104283p1.aspx

Caux Round Table is Spanning the Globe
http://www.cebcglobal.org/newsroom/News/News_062198.htm
http://www.cebcglobal.org/Default.htm

"The world is leaving U.S. GAAP behind. Standards are now being set by the International Accounting Standards Board founded in 2001 and based in London."
http://www.tcbmag.com/ideasopinions/openletter/84249p1.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Accounting_Standards_Board

Two announcements at MIX10 provide technologies to get your data to your end users.

• Microsoft has released an SDK for OData.
• The second CTP has shipped the information marketplace called Microsoft code-named “Dallas”  using OData.

The technologies enable you to build immersive, cross-platform Web and phone applications that use data delivered from the cloud.

ISVs can think of these announcements from a several perspectives:

• Providing data to new customers through a subscription model though the Cloud using Code Name “Dallas”.
• Providing data from your data centers directly to your customers using OData.
• Providing data from your customer data in OData so they can use their data in new and unique ways.
• Provide new applications that provide new interfaces to customer data, your data, and other data on Windows 7 or Windows phone 7. 
• Provide templates for products such as Excel PowerPivot for your customers to build their own reports, pivots.

About OData

Microsoft also released an SDK for OData. OData is an HTTP and Atom-based approach to data portability. OData supports a number of languages and platforms including .NET, Java, PHP, Objective-C (iPhone and Mac) and JavaScript.

The Open Data Protocol (OData) provides a way to unlock your data and free it from silos that exist in applications today, making it easy for data to be shared in a manner that follows the philosophy of Open Data. OData enables a new level of data integration across a broad range of clients, servers, services, and tools.

What is OData

OData adds the following to AtomPub:

• A convention for representing structured data
• A resource addressing scheme and URL syntax
• A set of common query options (filter, sort, etc.)
• Schema describing resource structure, links and metadata
• Payload formats and semantics for batch and “unit of work” requests
• Alternate representations of resource content (JSON)

Since OData is based on AtomPub, it is possible for OData clients and services to be written with minimal extra code allowing them to work with AtomPub (and GData) data..

Microsoft Supports OData

There is a growing list of products that implement OData.  Microsoft supports the Open Data Protocol in SharePoint Server 2010, Excel 2010 (through SQL Server PowerPivot for Excel), Windows Azure Storage, SQL Server 2008 R2, Visual Studio 2008 SP1.  Support in other Microsoft products is currently underway.

OData Resources

You can get the OData SDK at http://www.odata.org/developers. Also, see the video there that describes how you can work with OData.

For more information about OData, see Open Data Protocol on MSDN.

Find out who is providing data using OData at OData Producers.

See blog post OData interoperability with .NET, Java, PHP, iPhone and more.

See Channel9 Video: Interoperability with Open Data Protocol: OData SDK for PHP demo

Code Name “Dallas” CTP

Microsoft announced the second Community Technology Preview (CTP) of Microsoft code-named “Dallas,” an information marketplace powered by the Windows Azure platform, which provides developers with access to third-party datasets that can be consumed by Web and mobile applications.

You can make your content and data available with an OData feed via “Dallas”. You can access and monetize your data under your terms and pricing. You data can be can built into applications to deliver unique user experiences.

Today, developers can take advantage of more than 30 datasets from content providers, including NAVTEQ, Pitney Bowes Business Insight, Weather Central and Zillow.com, available on the “Dallas” information marketplace.

Dallas APIs allow developers and information workers to consume this premium content with virtually any platform, application or business workflow.

You can download “Dallas” CTP2 at http://www.Microsoft.com/Dallas.

To try out data in the Code Name “Dallas” catalog, see https://www.sqlazureservices.com/Catalog.aspx

 

Bruce D. Kyle
ISV Architect Evangelist | Microsoft Corporation

 

ATL's March Madness starts today. We want you to crown the best cities for practicing law.

We're jumping right into the Sweet Sixteen. Some people weren't happy with the sixteen cities that made the cut. Even though their populations are sizeable, cities like Phoenix and Miami didn't get invited to the Big Dance. If retirees outnumber lawyers in your town, you were disqualified from the tournament.

Here is the bracket for the "Best City to Practice Law" competition:

The first two regions, with some commentary from your Vitale-channeling editors, after the jump.

Kash is your guide for the East Conference:

NEW YORK CITY v. BOSTON

New York is the Biglaw wet dream. You're working on the most important private equity deals, and making more money than your Biglaw friends across the country. If rubbing elbows with Wall Street titans doesn't give you a hard-on, this may not be the town for you.

At $156K, the mean annual salary for lawyers is higher than in any of our other March Madness cities. That big salary, though, is a necessity. The city's many delights do not often come cheap. And New York has its downsides. As we warn in the waiver on our Courtship Connection emails, "dating here is a dangerous enterprise." Lawyers' love lives are not improved by the long hours demanded by the Big Apple's dealmakers.

And the past year has left this city's law firms ravaged. Layoffs have hit New York harder than other towns, thanks to Wall Street's troubles.

Boston has not escaped layoffs either, though no Boston-based firms are on Law Shuck's top ten lists. Boston lawyers make less than their New York counterparts, with a mean annual salary of $135K, but money goes farther when your signature dish is a bowl of soup.

When it comes to law firms, Boston is an insular city. The firms like their lawyers born, bred, and educated in the Bean Town. If you like closed networks, Boston's the city for you. Though one commenter points out:

The biggest downside to Boston is that with our 10 million law schools it's impossible for new students to find work.

I have to admit to a bit of bias here. I've lived in New York for two years and only been to Boston once to visit a boyfriend, eight years ago. My impressions: lots of historic plaques, decent Italian food, and terrible weather. Suffice to say I didn't have any inclination to go back. My major takeaway was to steer clear of dating Harvard men. So I'll let Elie chime in here...

Elie here: Taxes, Massholes, a cloudy pallor that doesn't lift for months at a time, what's not to love about Boston? For one of the most politically liberal cities on the planet, it's puritanical roots of Blue Laws and early bar closing times are at first, curious, and later, maddening.

On the positive side, you can live comfortably on a lawyer's salary in Boston. In the 2-1-2, you still feel like a plebe.

Which city does it for you, Nor'easters?

---

PHILADELPHIA v. WASHINGTON, D.C.

The city of brotherly love goes head to head with the city of lawyerly love. Philadelphia is definitely the underdog going into this match-up. Lawyers are king in D.C. after all; the city has the greatest concentration of lawyers in the country. And lawyers command respect there -- you won't hear "boring lawyer" jokes in that town.

In D.C., you do though have to put up with politics, and lawyers at the DOJ and at corporate firms have been caught in the crossfire recently.

Philadelphia is a second-string legal town. And c'mon, no one dreams of one day "making it" in Philly. It's a city you wind up in by default, if, for example, UPenn is the only Ivy League school to which you manage to score admission.

One commenter disagrees and wants to see this lady in the final dance:

The winner SHOULD be Philadelphia for all the following reasons:

1) Great legal tradition in Center City
2) Top Law firms (e.g., Morgan, Dechert, DBR, Blank Rome, Eckert)
3) All the art (e.g., Philly Museum of Art) and Restaurants of big City (e.g., Morimoto)
4) The BEST Cost of Living in Northeast -- $160 Philly = $320 NYC
5) Great Location btwn NYC & DC
6) Nation's First Capital
7) the E-A-G-L-E-S
8) proposal to build the nation's tallest building (in addition to Comcast center).
9) Diversity in the City of Brotherly Love.

Signs point to problems for the legal field in Philly though.

Finally, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, D.C. lawyers make better bank -- average salary $145K -- than Philly lawyers -- average salary $132K. Vote your pleasure:

---

Elie is your guide for the South Conference:

DALLAS v. CHARLOTTE

Everything is bigger in Texas, including the average lawyer salary. With a mean attorney salary of $138,380 (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics), Dallas-Ft. Worth lawyers can certainly afford the apocryphal 3,500 sq/ft wife and a Lexus.

But life isn't just about money. In Dallas you are provided with fantastic food and beautiful weather. Your life outside the office is like one never-ending tailgate. It's a wonderful life.

If you like barbecue and football, that is. And you'd better like barbecue and football, because outside of that, there isn't a whole lot to do when in Dallas. I was there on a case once and ye gods, what the hell do you people do after midnight? You can't go anywhere without a designated driver in tow, and by designated driver I mean "someone who might blow a .08, buts it's cool because he can handle his liquor."

And don't count on any lawyer prestige when mingling with the upper echelons of Dallas society. It's like every rich Texan has some story about how a lawyer screwed him out of a big drill because there was some multicolored fish that screwed up his environmental impact evaluation. I said to one of 'em, "I'm not an EPA lawyer," and he shot back: "Well, I'm sure you'll put your Constitution in my wallet sooner or later." I was going to say something snarky about how it was his Constitution too, but I didn't want to experience the business end of the Second Amendment. In Dallas, you're in energy or you're not really in the game.

At least they still have a game. With the recession hitting all the banks really hard, what do you think the legal market is like in Charlotte right now? The BLS tells us that the average lawyer salary is $121,510, but that doesn't take into account all the financial service attorneys currently doing their best "Dirk Diggler after the fall" impersonation.

The Queen City still represents the finest the antebellum South has to offer. There is a charm and hospitality down there unbeknown to Northeastern curmudgeons.

And even if Southern culture isn't your thing, thanks to the banks Charlotte boasts, there is an ever burgeoning population of Northeast transplants. Last time I was down there (I've got family in Charlotte) people were at least as interested in the Jets as they were in the Panthers. If the legal economy ever comes back, one would imagine Charlotte to be as desirable a location for lawyers as it was before the recession.

Because of population and recession, Charlotte is a huge underdog in this matchup. But, it is March Madness time, which means you shouldn't count out anything from North Carolina.

---

HOUSTON v. ATLANTA

What can I say about Houston that hasn't already been said by my favorite sports columnist, Bill Simmons?

In the past four years, I made four separate trips to Houston and spent a total of 24 days here. And you know why I did it? For you, the reader. I covered the Galleryfurniture.com Bowl, the Super Bowl, baseball's All-Star Game, and now, the NBA All-Star Game. And you know what? That's too much freaking time to spend in Houston. My editors just bleeped me, I don't care. Maybe Houston doesn't suck any more or less than 20 other major cities, and maybe the people are friendly and likable, but the fact remains, you would never come here for any reason, other than these three:

(1) For work.
(2) To gain weight.
(3) To get shot.

I've also had to spend extensive time in Houston, and I find it hard to disagree. Houston is not my kind of town.

But then again, I'm not Houston's kind of person. Sadly, not everybody wants to be my friend, so if you hate me, you might love Houston. And you'll make some money too: average lawyer salary in Houston is $136,380.

It's a city that defies labeling -- it's an industrial city that is yet home to more Fortune 500 headquarters than anywhere but New York. It's a city that doesn't feel particularly intellectual or erudite, yet it's where NASA runs the space program. I saw arguably the worst Shakespearean production of my life there, yet the theater was packed and the audience knew exactly how terribly awful the performance was. There are large numbers of Latinos and African-Americans, and African immigrants living there, right alongside Texans that look like caricatures of themselves. Maybe I should spend more time there, but the city is so sprawling that it's hard to know where Houston stops and hell begins.

You might think that the Houston/Atlanta match up is an easy choice for a person like me. But I haven't always enjoyed my time in the A-T-L. Atlanta is kind of like the Israel of America: a (well armed) community of ethnic minorities surrounded by enemies on all sides. Inside the city limits you feel safe, if a little bit tense because of all the firepower around you. Outside of Atlanta you feel ... well tense because you don't have nearly enough firepower.

Lawyers in Atlanta make slightly more money than lawyers in Houston: $138,240 according to BLS. That can buy a lot of central air conditioning units to deal with the mostly oppressive heat. It can also buy you access to some of the nicest amenities life has to offer in this thoroughly modern city. Atlanta shares virtually nothing in common with the sleepy Southern capitols of yore. It's young, it's affluent, and it's culturally relevant in a serious way. Sure, you'll need to spool up your FTL drive to get around the airport -- but there's nothing residents of the city need that they can't have right at home.

Houston and Atlanta are two cities living the same kind of dream: warm weather centers of industry and new American business. A lawyer can find high end work in these places, both at firms or in-house. What's not to love -- except everything I've already mentioned?

Voting ends Sunday at midnight.

Earlier: ATL March Madness: Which is the Best City to Practice Law?

Law - New York - Boston - Employment - United States

Assistive Technology Alternative Financing Programs and Access to Telework Loan Programs Administered by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)

Alabama
Alabama Ability Loans Program
Southern Disability Foundation
602 S. Lawrence Street
Montgomery, AL 36104
AFP Coordinator: Kate Wallace
Phone: 334/293-7008
TTY: 334/613-3519
Email: Kate.wallace@rehab.alabama.gov

Arizona
Arizona Loans for Assistive Technology Program (AzLAT) (AFP, Telework)
Northern Arizona University
Institute for Human Development
4105 North 20th Street, Suite 260
Phoenix, AZ  85016
Project Director: Randy Collins
Phone: 602/728-9532
Phone: 800/477-9921
TTY: 602/728-9536
Fax: 602/728-9535
Email: randy.collins@nau.edu
Website: www.azlat.net
 
Arkansas
Arkansas Technology Alternative Financing Project
Arkansas Rehabilitation Services
1616 Brookwood Dr.
Little Rock, AR 72203
Loan Program Coordinator: Michael Vickers
Phone: 501/683-3008
Fax: 501/666-5319
Email: Michael.vickers@arkansas.gov
 
Delaware
Delaware Telework Equipment Loan Program
Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative
University of Delaware
1600 Rockland Road
P.O. Box 269
Wilmington, DE 19899-0269
Information Coordinator: Eileen Mapes
Phone: 302/651-6790
TTY: 302/651-6794
Fax: 302/651-6793
Email: emapes@udel.edu

Florida
New Horizon Fund
Assistive Technology Loans and Home Based Business Loans
325 John Knox Road, Building 400, Suite 402
Tallahassee FL 32303
Loan Program Director: Tina Torrance
Phone: 850/487/3278 x107
Fax: 850/487/2805
Email: ktorrance@faast.org
Website: http://www.faast.org/New-Horizon-Fund

Georgia
Credit-Able (AFP)
The Center for Financial Independence & Innovation
1419 Mayson Street, NE
Atlanta, GA 30324
Executive Director: Jackie Wilks-Weathers
Credit-Able Consumer Liaison: Daphne Brookins
Phone: 404/541-9005
Fax: 404/541-9002
Website: http://www.thecfii.org/creditable.html

Guam
Guam Options for Alternative Loans - Assistive Technology (GOAL-AT)
University of Guam CEDDERS
UOG Station
303 University Drive, House #19 Dean Circle
Mangilao, Guam 96923
Program Coordinator: Carla Torres
Phone: 671/735-2490
TTY: 671/735-2491
Fax: 671/734-8378
Email: carla.torres@guamcedders.org
 
Illinois
TechConnect Low Interest Loan Program
Illinois Assistive Technology Project
1 West Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 100
Springfield, IL 62701-1200
Telework Coordinator: Eric Guidish
Phone: 217/522-7985
Email: eguidish@iltech.org
 
Iowa
Iowa Able Foundation (AFP, Telework)
Abilities Fund
410 North 18th Street
Centerville, IA 52544
Director: Patti Lind
Phone: 888/222-8943
Phone: 641/856-2173
Fax: 641/856-3101
Email: prlind@abilitiesfund.org
Website: www.abilitiesfund.org
 
Kansas
Alternative Financing Program (AFP, Telework)
Kansas Assistive Technology Cooperative
625 Merchant, Suite 205
Emporia, KS  66801
Executive Director: Basil Kessler
Email: Basil@katco.net
AFP Coordinator: Charles Linville
Email: Chuck@katco.net
PHONE/TTY: 866/465-2826
PHONE/TTY:  620/341-9002
Fax: 620/342-6400
 
Kentucky
Kentucky Assistive Technology Loan Corporation
209 St. Clair Street
Frankfort, KY 40601
Phone: 877/675-0195
Phone: 502/564-4440 ext 274
Fax: 502/564-1268
Contact: Sarah Richardson
Email: sarahf.richardson@ky.gov
Website: www.katlc.ky.gov

Louisiana
Louisiana Alternative Financing Program (AFP)
Louisiana Assistive Technology Access Network (LATAN)
3042 Old Forge Road, Suite D
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Loan Program Director: Henry Bateman
PHONE/TTY: 225/925-9500
PHONE/TTY: 800/270-6185 (National)
Fax: 225/925-9560
Email: hbateman@latan.org
Website: www.latan.org
 
Maine
Maine AFP Loan Program (AFP)
Maine Consumer Information And Technology Training Exchange (CITE)
Maine CITE Coordinating Center
46 University Drive
Augusta, ME 04330
Project Contact: Kathy Adams
Phone: 207/621-3195
TTY: 207/621-3482
Email: kadamsot@maine.rr.com

Maryland
Assistive Technology Loan Program (AFP, Telework)
Maryland Technology Assistance Program
2301 Argonne Drive, Room T-17
Baltimore, MD 21218
Loan Program Director: Tony Rice
PHONE/TTY: 800/832-4827
Fax: 410/554-9237
Email: trice@mdtap.org
Website: www.mdtap.org
 
Massachusetts
Massachusetts AT Loan Program (AFP)
Easter Seals Massachusetts
484 Main Street
Worchester, MA 01608
AFP Director: Jason Luciano
Phone: 508/751-6431
Fax: 508/751-6449
Email: jluciano@eastersealsma.org

Michigan
Michigan Assistive Technology Loan Fund
United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan
3401 E. Saginaw, Suite 216
Lansing, MI 48912
Loan Fund Manager: Carolyn Brown
Phone: 517/203-1200
Fax: 517/203-1203
Email: cbrown@ucpmichigan.org
Web: www.mi-atlf.org

Minnesota
ATMN Micro – Loan Program (AFP)
ATMN-Access to Telework (Telework)
Assistive Technology of Minnesota
1800 Pioneer Creek Center, Box 310
Maple Plain, MN  55359-0310
Project Director: Carol Fury
Phone: 763/479-8239
TTY: 800/627-3529
Fax: 763/479-8243
Email: info@atmn.org
Website: www.atmn.org
 
Missouri
$how Me Loans (AFP, Telework)
Missouri Assistive Technology Council
4731 South Cochise #114
Independence, MO 64055-6975
Loan Program Coordinator: Eileen Belton
Phone: 816/350-5281
TTY: 816/373-9315
Email: eileen.belton@att.net
 
Nebraska
Nebraska Loan Program (AFP, Telework)
Easter Seals Nebraska
638 North 109th Plaza
Omaha, NE 68154
AFP Director: Laurie Halpenny
Phone: 402-345-2200 x 1124
Email: lhalpenny@ne.easterseals.com

Nevada
Nevada CARE Loan Fund
Care Chest
7910 N. Virginia Street
Reno, NV 89506
Contact: Robert Walker
Phone: 775/829-2273
Email: loans@carechest.com
 
New Mexico
New Mexico Loan Program (AFP)
San Juan Center for Independence
3535 E. 30th , Suite 101
Farmington, NM 87402
Program Manager: Larry McCabe
Phone: 505/566-5831
Fax: 505/566-5842
Email: lmccabe@sjci.org

New Mexico Telework Loan Program (Telework)
New Mexico Technology Assistance Program
435 St. Michael's Drive, Building D
Santa Fe, NM 87505
Project Director: Andy Winnegar
Phone: 800/866-2253
Phone: 505/954-8521
TTY: 800/659-4915
Fax: 505/954-8608
Email: Awinnegar@state.nm.us

North Dakota
North Dakota AT Loan Program (AFP)
North Dakota Association for the Disabled
2660 South Columbia Road
Grand Forks, ND 58201
Loan Coordinator: Traci Ladouceur
PHONE 701/795-6609
TTY: 800/265-4728
Fax: 701/239-7229
Email: tladouceur@ndad.org

Northern Marianas
Trankilu Loan Program (AFP)
Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas
Council on Developmental Disabilities
P. O. Box 502565
Saipan, MP 96950-2565
Loan Program Coordinator: Pamela Sablan
Phone: 670/664-7000
TTY: 670/664-7000
Fax: 670/664-7010
Email: P.Sablan@cnmicdd.org

Oklahoma
Oklahoma Alternative Financing Program
Oklahoma ABLE Tech
1514 West Hall of Fame
Stillwater, OK 74078-2026
Loan Program Coordinator: Lindsey Davis
Phone: 405/744-9864
TTY: 800/257-1705
Fax: 405/744-2487
Email: lindsey.a.davis@okstate.edu

Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (AFP)
1004 West Ninth Avenue, First Floor
King of Prussia, PA  19406
Executive Director: Susan Tachau
Phone: 888/744-1938 (National)
Phone: 484/674-0506
TTY: 877/693-7271 (National)
Fax: 484/674-0510
Email: stachau@patf.us
Website: www.patf.us
 
South Carolina
South Carolina Assistive Technology Loan Program (SC AT) (AFP, Telework)
Vocational Rehabilitation Department
1410 Boston Avenue
West Columbia, SC 29171
Project Coordinator: Tim Russell
Phone: 803/896-6374
Fax: 803/896-6510
Email: Trussell@scvrd.state.sc.us
 
U.S. Virgin Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands Loan Program
University of the Virgin Islands
#2 John Brewer's Bay
St. Thomas, U.S.VI 00802
Project Coordinator: Carl Cole
Phone: 340/693-1322
Fax: 340/693-1325
Email: ccole@uvi.edu

Utah
Alternative Financing Program (AFP, Telework)
Utah Assistive Technology Foundation (UATF)
Center for Persons with Disabilities
6835 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT  84322
Executive Director: Marilyn Hammond
Phone: 800/524-5152 (National)
Phone: 435/797-2025
TTY: 435/797-7089
Fax: 435/797-2355
Email: uatf@cpd2.usu.edu
Website: www.uatf.org
 
Vermont
Independence Fund (AFP)
Opportunities Credit Union & Opportunities Ventures
18 Pearl Street
Burlington, VT 05401
President/CEO: Cheryl Fatnassi
Phone: 802/865-3404 Ext. 105
Fax: 802/860-8971
Email: cfatnassi@oppsvt.org

Virginia
NewWell Fund (AFP, Telework)
1602 Rolling Hills Drive, Suite 107
Richmond, VA 23229
Director: Joey Wallace
Phone: 866/835-5976 (Toll Free)
Phone: 804/662-9000
Fax: 804/662-9533
Email: Joey.Wallace@atlfa.org
Website: www.atlfa.org

Washington
Washington Access Fund
Washington Assistive Technology Foundation
100 South King, Suite 280
Seattle, WA 98104
Program Director: Kathy Gilman
Phone: 206/328-5116
TTY: 800/214-8731
Fax: 206/328-5126
Email: kathy@watf.org

Wisconsin
WisLoan (AFP)
WiTelework (Telework)
Independence First
540 South First St.
Milwaukee, WI 53204-1605
WisLoan Coordinator: Patti Kraemer
WiTelework Coordinator: Kathy Meisner-Altman
Phone: 414/226-8306
TTY: 414/291-7520
Fax: 414/291-7525
Email: pkraemer@independencefirst.org
Email: kmeisner-altman@independencefirst
Website: www.dhfs.wisconsin.gov/disabilities/wistech/wisloan.htm
Website: www.independencefirst.org/services/other/telework.asp

Wyoming
Wyoming Technology Access Program (WYTAP) (AFP)
Wyoming Independent Living Rehabilitation, Inc.
305 West First Street
Casper, WY 82601
Executive Director: Kenneth Hoff
Project Coordinator: Lyn Rogers
Phone: 800/735-8322
Phone: 307/226-6956
Email: khof@trib.com
Email: lrogers@wilr.org

 
Key to Abbreviations
AFP - Assistive Technology Alternative Financing Loan Program
Telework - Access to Telework Loan Program

The RESNA Alternative Financing and Telework Technical Assistance Project (AFTAP), Grant #H224C300002, is an activity funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), U.S. Department of Education (ED). Produced by RESNA/AFTAP, 1700 North Moore Street, Suite 1540, Arlington, VA  22209, 703/524-6686 (V), 703/524-6639 (TTY), 703/524-6630 (Fax), http:www/resnaprojects.org/AFTAP/

Other Loan Programs
Can't find a loan program in your state? Some states have financial loan programs that have been established through funding other than Title III. Click this link to read the most recent list of state providers from RSA.

Come for the career.
Stay for the satisfaction.

Know the difference.
At Travelers, we offer more than insurance coverage for our clients. We offer security, responsiveness, and a commitment to the Travelers promise. We take care of our customers when they need assistance, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

CAT Field Claim Representative Trainee Chantilly VA
Job ID 792815
Chantilly, VA

This position is a trainee position that will require 24-hour deployment to storm sites. This deployment may involve working under adverse weather conditions and working with a sense of urgency to assist customers in catastrophic events.
Complete formal Property Training Program for consideration of advancement to Outside Property Claim Representative Position. This will include, but not be limited to formal training held in our state-of-the-art training facility in Windsor, CT, as well as on-the-job training in the field.
Effective handling of personal and commercial lines property claims of basic to moderate complexity.
Contacting clients, determining coverage, scoping of loss and completing damage estimates via Xactimate software, negotiating and settling claims per Best Practices and within DOI regulations.
Managing a file inventory in an organized manner including maintaining an effective diary system and accurately documenting claim activity in system file notes in order to effectively resolve claims.
Perform administrative functions such as expense accounts, time off reporting, etc. as required. Perform any other duties as required.
Demonstrate proficiency in estimating, investigation, evaluation, and negotiation at the most reasonable cost. Satisfy customer needs and ensure file quality.

PRIMARY DUTIES:
•Handle Property claims of lesser value and complexity as assigned
•Complete field inspection of losses including accurate scope of damages, photographs, written estimates and/or computer-assisted estimates
•Investigate and evaluate all relevant facts to determine coverage, damages, and liability of property damage claims
•Access and inspect all areas of a dwelling or structure, including tight spaces such as attic, staircases, entries, and crawl spaces
•Lift, carry, unfold and set up ladder weighing approximately 38 pounds; climb ladder, transition to and from ladder to area requiring inspection; walk on roof
•Establish timely and accurate claim and expense reserves
•Negotiate and convey claim settlements within authority limits
•Write denial letters, reservation of rights, and other complex correspondence
•Control damages through proper usage of cost-containment tools
•Meet all quality standards and expectations per best practices
•Maintain an effective diary system and document claim file activities in accordance with established procedures
•Manage file inventory to ensure timely resolution of cases
•Handle files in compliance with state regulations, where applicable
•Provide excellent customer service to meet the needs of the insured, agent, and all other internal and external customers
•Identify and refer claims with MCU exposure to the supervisor
•Recognize when to refer claims to Special Investigations Unit and/or Subro Unit
•Perform administrative functions such as expense accounts, time off reporting, etc., as required. Perform any other duties as required.

EDUCATION/COURSE OF STUDY:
College degree or equivalent in business discipline

WORK EXPERIENCE:
•Previous property claim handling experience is preferred
•Knowledge of construction, estimating and estimating system (Xactimate preferred)

COMMUNICATION SKILLS:
Must display solid verbal and written communications skills

COMPUTER SKILLS:
Hardware and software skills and abilities including computers and other similar electronic devices

OTHER:
•General knowledge of insurance industry
•Excellent organizational skills with the ability to work independently
•Solid analytical skills
•Excellent negotiation skills
•Candidates must have excellent customer service, communication and organizational/time management skills, as well as the ability to competently handle multiple tasks simultaneously

2- or 4-year college degree preferable; however, all candidates will be considered.

Construction industry experience and/or knowledge are a plus. Claim adjusting experience in another line of business is helpful.

Must possess a valid driver's license.

Working Environment:
Inside/outside working environment, including access and inspect all areas of a dwelling or structure including tight spaces, such as attic, staircases, entries and crawl spaces. Lift, carry, unfold, and set up ladder weighing approximately 38 lbs; climb ladder; transition to and from ladder to area requiring inspection; walk on roof or other similar physical tasks.

This position requires extensive nationwide travel and the incumbent must be available for immediate deployment within 24-hours of notification. The required standard tour length of 28 consecutive workdays, plus 2 travel days is also expected to be met.

We offer a competitive salary along with an outstanding benefits package, including medical, dental, life and vision coverage on day one, 401(k) plan with company match, pension plan, and paid vacation/holidays. Relocation assistance is available for the ideal candidate. Travelers is an equal opportunity employer. We actively promote a drug-free workplace.

To apply, please visit www.travelers.com/callcentercareers. Alternatively, you may also go to www.travelers.com/careers and search for Job # 792815.

EOE ©2010 The Travelers Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Travelers Indemnity Company and its property casualty affiliates.
One Tower Square, Hartford, CT 06183

Today at MIX ‘10 we’re looking under the hood of Windows Phone 7 Series, showing people what this phone can do and giving designers and developers the tools and information they need to expand their horizons. We’ve shown the phone’s smart new design, and the way integrated experiences dynamically bring the information people care about to the forefront. We’ve also talked about our new application development platform and how we chose Silverlight and the XNA Framework to deliver on a new platform strategy built around prioritizing end user experience, delivering a new development platform and enforcing a consistent hardware standard. Today the rubber meets the road!

Once Around the Track

First of all, if a picture is worth a thousand words than a killer demo is worth a million. Check out Scott Guthrie and Joe Belfiore’s demo packed MIX keynote. It is being streamed live this morning starting at 9AM PST (and will be available on demand a bit later). I have a little cameo at about 90 minutes in.

You’ll see why with the new Windows Phone 7 Series application development platform, more than half a million Silverlight and tens of thousands of XNA Framework developers are now Windows Phone developers. Developers and designers can now build their code once and optimize it to take advantage of the unique capabilities of the phone, Web, PC or Xbox 360. Due to common shared libraries, controls and runtimes across these many screens and the cloud, developers now have the opportunity to reach over 1 billion customers. We follow the keynote and demo with 12 deep dive sessions (which will also be available on demand at http://live.visitmix.com) that walk people through everything they need to know about the new platform, tools and opportunity.

Time for a Test Drive

We’re not quite ready to hand over the keys, but today we’re giving developers and designers everything they need to test drive the new application development platform and start creating new apps and games for Windows Phone 7 Series.

Windows Phone Developer Tools Preview is available today (as in RIGHT NOW) as a free single download at http://developer.windowsphone.com. Windows Phone Developer Tools feature;

1. Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone
2. Windows Phone Emulator.
3. XNA Game Studio 4.0

We are also announcing that not only is this preview available for free, we will make the final version free as well!

One cool thing about this download package is if you already have another version of Visual Studio 2010 RC installed this will act as an add-on to that. 

Developers will be able to use these tools to start building rich Windows Phone 7 Series applications.  Obviously developers don’t have real devices yet, but the new Windows Phone Emulator that’s included uses x86 virtualization and 3D GPU acceleration to provide great performance. If your developer workstation supports Windows 7 multi-touch you will be able to interact with the emulator using touch!

We’re Serious About Design: Today we demonstrated building Windows phone apps with Expression Blend and announced the availability of a CTP for Expression Blend 4 for Windows Phone on http://developer.windowsphone.com as well. Expression Blend 4 for Windows Phone provides exactly the same streamlined development workflow for Windows Phone that was previously only available for Silverlight and .Net applications; including features such as Behaviors, sample data and the visual state manager.

For now, the Expression Blend 4 for Windows Phone CTP is a separate download and install from the Windows Phone Developer Tools, but it will be integrated into the single download mentioned above in a future update.

Oh, and this special version of Blend will also be FREE.

Windows Phone Marketplace: Also at MIX, Microsoft is for the first time detailing how developers and designers from 30 countries will bring content to market with Windows Phone Marketplace, the evolution of Microsoft’s mobile application market. With Windows Phone Marketplace and the new Marketplace hub, developers can easily promote applications and games to Windows Phone customers right on the phone, while earning a 70% revenue share.

• The Marketplace hub will provide consumers a single destination for all the content (applications, games, premium Xbox LIVE games and music as well as operator and OEM exclusives) to personalize their Windows Phone. 
• We’ve streamlined the self service portal for developers.
• Windows Phone Marketplace registration will be free to members of the DreamSpark program for students

Location and Notification Services: To further enable developers to deliver rich applications in fewer steps, Silverlight on Windows Phone 7 Series features Location and Notification Services.

• The Microsoft Location Service is a uniform mechanism that provides software developers a single point of reference in order to acquire location information, removing the need for developers to worry about accessing GPS, or attempting to get Cell ID or Wifi information.
• The Microsoft Push Notification Service lets end-users get “live” updates for their favorite apps no matter what they are doing on their Windows Phone. (This is what I get to demo during the keynote!).  Its a mechanism for proactively sending changing or updating information to the phone, regardless of whether or not the application is running. It helps preserve battery life and network and the API for using it on both the Phone and web service is amazingly simple!  Notifications can updated Live Tiles on the Start Screen or show a drop-down “toast” notification at any time and developers can handle notifications directly in their apps.

Pole Position: We’re also introducing several leading companies that are already committed to creating exciting applications and games for Windows Phone 7 Series.  They include ; The Associated Press, Archetype International Inc., AWS Convergence Technologies – WeatherBug, Citrix Systems, Inc., Clarity Consulting, Inc., Cypress Consulting, EA Mobile, Fandango, Inc., Foursquare Labs, Inc., frog design, inc., Glu Mobile Inc., Graphic.ly, Hudson Entertainment, Inc., IdentityMine, Inc., IMDb.com, Inc., Larva Labs LLC, Major League Soccer, Match.com, L.L.C., Matchbox Mobile Ltd, Microsoft Game Studios, Namco Networks America Inc., Oberon Media, Inc., Pageonce, Inc., Pandora Media, Inc., Photobucket Corporation, PopCap Games, Inc., Seesmic, Shazam Entertainment Ltd, Sling Media, SPB Software Inc., stimulant, TeleCommunications Systems, Inc., Touchality LLC, Vertigo Software, Inc.

Developers and designers who work with mobile applications or have an interest in applying their Silverlight or XNA skill set to the phone for the first time should visit the Windows Phone Developer Portal for prescriptive guidance, tools and timely information about developing for Windows Phone 7 Series.

You can keep track of this and other news coming of MIX ’10 by keeping an eye on the Microsoft News Center

I’ll continue sharing updates here and on my personal blog http://blogs.msdn.com/ckindel/. A whole bunch of my colleagues will be posting great technical information here as well!

Head to http://developer.windowsphone.com right NOW and download the tools and get started. Let us know what you think.

Filed under: Fashion, Celebrity, News, Designers & Brands, Stylish Living

If there was ever a testament to the power of Diane von Furstenberg's reach, then it had to be on Saturday night when an international coterie of guests weathered sideways rain to arrive at the United Nations for the first ever DVF Awards (created and named by the designer herself, of course). The typically austere settings were kitted out for the occasion with hot pink lighting, bamboo trees, low couches upholstered in signature DVF prints and chrome cocktail tables. Of the sultry atmosphere, Diane (pronounced dee-ahn by her friends) commented, "One thing I will be known for, is that I transformed the U.N. into a nightclub."

The cocktail crowd was an intriguing mix of women...some in African dress, some in burkas (fitting, as the event was part of The Daily Beast's weekend long "Women in the World" summit). The swans were like a mini U.N. themselves--DVF devotees including Amanda Brooks (sparkling in Fallon crystal earrings and sequin pants), Iman, Rachel Roy, Anh Duong, Wendi Deng Murdoch (moguls' wives stick together), and Candace Bushnell graced the administrative building.

Tory Burch was stunning in a navy lace Marc Jacobs dress. The designer attended as, "a happy spectator. I went to Tina (Brown)'s summit. It's so amazing, I would go to any length to support it." Burch also discussed her own new eponymous foundation which offers micro-financing to women, "but it's domestic," she offered.

Steven Kolb, DVF's partner at the CFDA, mingled bravely amidst the amazons. "Diane is all about the woman," he said. "In the very beginning, when she was elected President, she said she has all women working for her and very few men. I am proud to be among them. I'm an honorary woman for the night!"

Photographer Gilles Bensimon, a great lover of ladies--carrying three drinks to a table--was in his element, "I am friends with Diane. I do everything she tells me.... almost."

"I always say, 'We don't need men,' but maybe it's because I have the best one, and I take him for granted," said an emotional von Furstenberg as the awards began. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you to my husband, Barry. I am proud to be your wife." It was the first of many moving overtures.

Christiane Amanpour, the first presenter in a star studded line-up, introduced Sadiqa Basiri Saleem, who among other noble efforts, is starting an all women's college in her native Afghanistan. She was the first of four women to be honored with a $50,000 grant from the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation for "leadership, strength and courage."

The second honoree was Danielle Saint-Lot from Haiti, who was introduced by Melanne Verveer, the United States Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues. Robin Roberts, anchor of ABC's "Good Morning America," introduced Katherine Chon of the American-based Polaris Project, which combats slavery and human trafficking. Her organization provides services and transitional housing to its clients, and operates the National Human Trafficking Hotline Resource Center hotline.

Meryl Streep was the last presenter and passed the heart-shaped Giacometti-like award to the French-Colombian politician Íngrid Betancourt. Betancourt was freed in July 2008, after being held captive for six and a half years by Colombian rebel group, FARC. Betancourt's namesake foundation promotes freedom, environmental conservation, and combats social injustice.

Following the ceremonies, and many wet eyes, "the grand daughter of Bossa Nova," as DVF called her, Bebel Gilberto performed a set, and the mingling continued. "I feel like cheerleading tonight," said Streep who had summed it up best. "I wish I could break into a Chinese split--that's the painful one."

What do you think of the awards? Good idea? Let us know by leaving a comment and then see what else the enterprising von Furstenberg has been up to lately.

The First Annual DVF Awards Draws Ingrid Betancourt, Meryl Streep, And More originally appeared on StyleList on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wow.  What a storm!  Bergen County was hard hit with more than 87,000 residents still without power as of last night.  Right here in Teaneck, things were pretty bad.  Two of our residents were killed Saturday evening by a falling tree as they walked home from synagogue.  A terrible tragedy for our community.  We have more than 150 trees down and last evening were given a "boil water advisory" from United Water because of a power outage at their treatment facility. The first three months of the new decade have certainly presented us with challenges - the weather AND a new Governor (along with the job losses, the faltering economy, and property taxes).

And what a way to begin a new week. This morning the Judiciary Committee meets to question three of the Governor's new nominees: Commissioners of Banking & Insurance (Considine), Environmental Protection (Martin) and Health & Senior Services (Dr. Alaigh). I would guess this will be another full day event. My view of the appointees we have already interviewed and approved (Transportation, Education, Motor Vehicles, Attorney General, Human Services, Department of Children) is that this is an interesting group. Senator Nia Gill did a superb job questioning new Motor Vehicles Commissioner Martinez about his two prior (more than 20 years ago) DWI convictions. He was forthcoming in his answers. Sen. Gill finished her in depth questioning illustrating that sometimes these kinds of experiences end up having a positive effect on a person's life if they've learned from them.  In fact, they might help make him a better administrator as he deals with the state's drivers.  Let's hope the Republicans remember that in the future.  

So in my view this appears to be a pretty eclectic group, and none thus far seem to have come through a local political organization. In fact, it appears that most did not really know Christie before they were nominated (perhaps with the exception of Attorney General Paula Dow).  We'll see what we learn about the three new nominees today, and I know we will all closely watch how they collectively develop policy and work with the Legislature.  More to come after today's group is questioned.

Tuesday, Governor Christie delivers his "almost" draconian first budget for which he has been trying to set the groundwork.  I'm sure there will be enough pain to go around (unless you earn more than $400,000 per year, and then you will not be asked to sacrifice). Cuts in state aide to municipalities and school districts are a foregone conclusion. Let's see what that does to property taxes in our communities. How will he handle property rebates - remember that one from the campaign?

But let's stop beating up on our public employees - cops, fire personnel, motor vehicle workers, folks who clean bathrooms and empty garbage in the State House, teachers who give our children a pretty decent start in life, hospital and nursing home folks, crossing guards, cafeteria workers, etc.  I voted for the pension reform bills and I do not believe any of them are very draconian. Public employees do have great benefits, and they are being called on to "share some of the pain". Having said that, I believe the Governor and our legislative leadership should lower the temperature here and try to build a little future cooperation for the things we might have to do together to deal with our severe budget problems.

This past week I was invited to speak before the Hunterdon DFA at a wonderful little rustic restaurant in Flemington.  Other than getting lost in finding the place, it was a pretty fun experience (thank you Rosi). There was a nice turnout, and I think my job was to motivate these folks to keep up the hard work they are doing in a really "Red" county.  Enjoyed seeing Wendy Berger who is running for local council; meeting the Hunterdon County Democratic Chairwoman; and the other local candidates there who were willing to give voice to important issues. I hope our new Democratic State Chair takes notice and supports in some way the Democrats willing to  put their names on the ballot in some lonely places.

Yesterday, I spoke on health policy before the New Jersey Chapter of the American College of Surgeons. They are truly worried about the loss of physicians in their specialty here in New Jersey. Of the new graduates this past year from our medical school, only 7 surgeons decided to remain in New Jersey. These are issues we hope our new bipartisan Women Legislators  caucus will be addressing in late spring. There's much work to do to in this area. Access to health care will become an even larger issue if we do not have a physician work force large enough to take care of our population.

Don't forget that Saturday is the Center for American Women in Politics "Ready to Run" conference at Rutgers.  It's a great environment for women deciding to run for office or to participate in a campaign.  I'll look forward to seeing some of you there.  

Stay safe and keep your voices heard!

House Democrats banned earmarks for private companies in a move that Republicans felt didn’t go far enough, reports the Washington Post. The ban would prevent no-bid grants going to “private firms that can afford to hire well-connected lobbyists to plead their cases.” House Republicans are calling for an earmark ban on nonprofit companies, too. The new restriction still allows “schools and colleges, state and local governments, research groups, social service centers and others” to receive earmarks, according to the New York Times. While the House is at least partly in agreement, the “senators balked” at banning earmarks.  Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawaii, who leads the Senate Appropriations Committee, remarked that it was unfair to “‘discriminate against for-profit organizations’” when nonprofits also had the power to obtain earmarks. The Post reports that the ban, while a way to “take a stand against” lobbyists, would reduce less than $16 billion of the $1 trillion Congress spends.

Instead of hourlong delays, airline passengers might simply get more cancelled flights. Airlines responded to a Department of Transportation rule on keeping passengers on the tarmac for hours by vowing to be more aggressive with cancelling flights, reports the Wall Street Journal. Under the new rule, passengers have the opportunity to leave the plane after being on the tarmac for more than three hours. Any carriers that fail to do so could incur fines “up to $27,500 per passenger, or more than $4 million on a full Boeing 737 or Airbus A320.” In cases of impending inclement weather, carriers are threatening to cancel before storms even if the weather turns out fine. Frequent fliers might find their travel forever changed.

After weeks concerned with Greece’s fate and its effect on the euro zone, companies are showing confidence in the world economy, according to the Wall Street Journal. “Companies are aggressively borrowing in the debt markets” with U.S. corporations issuing over $190 billion in debt so far this year. This is an increase from about $166 billion issued this same time last year, data provider Dealogic shows. While companies were concerned with Europe’s budget deficits they delayed bond sales. Now, “money is again flowing into corporate bond funds” and with risk premiums for corporate bonds falling companies can borrow cheaply.

In the midst of the health care debate, another major overhaul of President Obama’s administration is in jeopardy. A student-loan plan, opposed by Republicans and at least 10 Democrats, might have to go through as reconciliation, reports the Wall Street Journal. The only problem is that “only one reconciliation bill can move through the Senate this year.” Right now, White House officials and key Democrats are discussing the possibility of combining the student loan plan with the health care bill. Obama would be able to knock off two top priorities with one bill, but it would be risky. Combing the two has some Democrats worried that the health care package would be endangered. Under reconciliation, legislation only needs a simple majority of 51 votes to pass the Senate.

A new online futures market will allow people to place bets on Hollywood, reports the New York Times. Studios, institutions, and moviegoers will all be able to bet on the box-office revenue of upcoming movie releases, such as Clash of the Titans or Robin Hood. Cantor Futures Exchange, a subsidiary of Cantor Fitzgerald, expects to open the market next month and bring over users from the company’s Web site that does the same thing with play money. Based on expected revenue determined by traders, people can “trade at $1 for every $1 million a movie is expected to bring in.” Investors can also short contracts in the market if they think a movie will flop. Distributors can use this to limit the company’s total losses. To prevent conflicts of interest, the amount a company can hedge will be limited. Even shorting a contract, “a distributor could never make more money by betting against a film through futures than by having that film succeed in theaters.”

Hitachi America, Ltd., a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE: HIT/TSE: 6501) located in Tarrytown, NY and Pace University's Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship are co-sponsoring a free, full-morning education program aimed at sharing expertise and best practices with professionals from the county's nonprofit organizations. The program, "Philanthropy in the New Decade" will take place at Pace University's campus in White Plains, NY and will run from 8:30 am – 11:30 am on Thursday, March 25, 2010. The campus is located at 1 Martine Avenue. Guest speakers for the program are:

• Mark Popovich, Senior Program Officer, The Hitachi Foundation (www.hitachifoundation.org)
• Jay Frost, Principal, Frost on Fundraising (www.frostonfundraising.com)
• Betsy Hills Bush, Program Officer, Westchester Community Foundation and Adjunct Professor, Pace University (www.wcf-ny.org)

The program is free, but advance registration is required and seating is limited. Attendance is limited to members of nonprofit organizations. Registration can be done on line at: http://www.hitachi-america.us/about/community_relations/events_conferences/index.html The goal of the forum is to offer nonprofit leaders content-rich sessions that provide actionable steps to help their organizations weather today's difficult economic climate. This is the second year that Hitachi America, Ltd. has spearheaded this program and the first year that Pace University's Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship is serving as a co-sponsor. The Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship was created in 2005 to serve the nonprofit community and Pace University. The Center provides scholarly research, academic programs, advisory services and roundtable discussions to encourage excellence and enhance managerial leadership skills of professionals within the nonprofit sector. "Given the Wilson Center's mission and interest in providing education for those who work in nonprofit organizations, it is a pleasure for us to co-sponsor this program with Hitachi America," said Rebecca Tekula, PhD, Executive Director, Wilson Center. "We are excited to be putting on this educational program for our nonprofit colleagues," said Lauren Garvey, Director of Community Relations, Hitachi America, Ltd. "We believe that it is critically important to help the county's nonprofit organizations weather the current financial crisis. One of the best ways we can do that is by sharing our expertise and organizing programs like this one. I am excited that Pace University has joined us in putting on this program." About Hitachi America Hitachi America, Ltd., headquartered in Tarrytown, New York, a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., and its subsidiary companies offer a broad range of electronics, power and industrial equipment and services, automotive products and consumer electronics with operations throughout the Americas. For more information, visit www.hitachi-america.us. For information on other Hitachi Group companies in the United States, please visit www.hitachi.us. Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT / TSE: 6501) is a leading global technology and industrial company with total revenues of ¥10,000 billion ($102.0 billion) for the year ended March 31, 2009. Hitachi's business is highly diversified, encompassing operations in the following seven segments: Information & Telecommunication Systems; Electronic Devices; Power & Industrial Systems; Digital Media & Consumer Products; High Functional Materials & Components; Logistics, Services & Others; and Financial Services. For more information on Hitachi, please visit Hitachi's website at http://www.hitachi.com. About Pace University For 104 years Pace University has produced thinking professionals by providing high quality education for the professions on a firm base of liberal learning amid the advantages of the New York metropolitan area. A private university with campuses in New York City and Westchester County, New York, Pace enrolls nearly 13,000 students in bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs in its Lubin School of Business, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Lienhard School of Nursing, School of Education, School of Law, and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. www.pace.edu. Visit us on the web: Pace.edu | Facebook | Twitter | Flickr | YouTube Follow Pace students on Twitter: NYC | PLV